Nokia Releases Open Source Mobile Browser

Nokia has decided to release the source code for its Series 60 web browser to the open source software community. The web browser source code released by Nokia comes under the terms of the open source BSD License, a highly permissive software license with few requirements that is one of the most popular licenses among free software developers worldwide.

"Nokia's open source based Web Browser for S60 leads the way for Internet browsing on mobile devices," said Przemek Czarnecki, executive vice president of Terminal Technology, T-Mobile International. "Its innovative handling of website navigation, which is similar to using a web browser on the desktop, is of particular interest to T-Mobile as we are closely working on Internet browsing with our product 'web'n'walk'. The use of open source to achieve greater website compatibility is an important strategy for the mobile industry."

Nokia's recently launched Web Browser for S60 enables full mobile browsing of complete web pages as they exist on the Internet, leveraging compatibility with AJAX technologies and support for dynamic HTML and scripting language. The release of source code for the S60 Webkit browser engine, based on WebCore and JavaScriptCore components of Apple's award-winning Safari browser, will be accompanied by Nokia's active participation with the open source community in developing further enhancements to the browser, sharing changes to the core browser engine as they are made in real time.

"This initiative will attract a critical mass of open source software developers to build a consistent, web browser engine as the clearest path to minimize fragmentation in the mobile browser market," said Lee Epting, vice president of Nokia's global software developer support program, Forum Nokia. "With nearly 100 million smartphones deployed worldwide, a common open source solution driving mobile web browser consistency will deliver on the long-awaited promise of full-web browsing and a true web experience for smartphone users around the globe."

Posted to the site on 25th May 2006