LONDON-Operating-system company Symbian announced a new version of its platform, which the company said includes a variety of features to support more advanced applications as well as to protect against viruses.
“Symbian’s strategic focus is to ensure that Symbian OS is the ideal choice for Symbian OS licensees’ development of smaller, less-expensive and more-powerful smart phones,” said Marit Doving, Symbian’s executive vice president of marketing. “Symbian OS Version 9 integrates the capabilities that network operators need to enable them to deploy cost-effective, advanced revenue-generating services, content and applications, particularly as 3G networks are rolled out more and more widely around the world.”
The new Symbian v9 includes:
- Multimedia support for Bluetooth stereo headsets, USB mass storage, advanced audio mixing and playback and the latest MPEG and Open Mobile Alliance digital rights management standards. The platform also includes enhanced support for multi-megapixel camera phones, 3D graphics, and multimedia and graphics acceleration, as well as “simultaneous multiple displays” for gaming-oriented handsets.
- Device management based on the OMA’s Device Management solutions, which allow network operators to access a user’s phone over the air. The technology allows carriers and others to remotely deploy new services, capabilities or applications, diagnose a problem or audit applications installed on a phone.
- New enterprise applications including filtering and sorting e-mail and group scheduling capabilities.
- A new security model that restricts application access to “sensitive” areas of the phone like sending SMS, making calls and personal information. Only applications that have been certified can access such features, which protects the core functions of the phone from virus attacks.
