Tech Firms Make Royalty-Free Patent Pledge
Five high-technology companies and the OSGi Alliance are to pledge royalty-free access to necessary patents that can speed the adoption of OSGi technology worldwide. The technology creates a service-oriented, component-based environment for developers and provides standardized ways to manage the software lifecycle.
These capabilities greatly increase the value of a wide range of computers and devices that use the Java platform. The team includes the OSGi Alliance itself as well as OSGi members Gatespace Telematics, IBM, Nokia, ProSyst Software and Samsung.
Specifically, the six organizations want to spur innovation among software developers by pledging royalty-free access to any of their patents necessary for the implementation of OSGi Service Platform Release 4. This open OSGi platform is the industry-leading component software standard for networked computers and devices. It spans digital mobile phones, vehicles, embedded appliances, residential gateways, industrial computers, desktop PCs, and, most recently, high-end servers, including mainframes.
The OSGi Service Platform offers increased value, because it allows developers to create sophisticated, component-based solutions and then assemble compatible software components on a customized, "just-in-time" basis. More specifically, it provides a standardized, dynamic module system for applications and services that use the Java platform. Users can therefore manage the lifecycles of software components, which can be installed, assembled, updated, combined with other functions or removed "on the fly" -- without disrupting the operation of a device.
"As a team, we recognize the collective and individual merits of a cooperative and open approach to innovation and shared patent access for the specification, which will promote adoption of the related technology," said Stan Moyer, President, OSGi Alliance.
"Working together, we'll help everyone build on the OSGi Service Platform in ways that best benefit the public. The results will be open and enhanced interoperability and compatibility that empowers organizations to compete on the superiority and ingenuity of their offerings."
Posted to the site on 27th July 2006