The new mobile platform aims to make way for innovative hardware, software and mobile Internet services through open-standards-based technologies.

"With the convergence of the Internet and mobility as the team's only barrier, I can only imagine the innovation that will come out of our unique relationship with Nokia," said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the ultra mobility group. "The possibilities are endless."

All-Out Open Source

The Intel-Nokia partnership includes technology development and cooperation in several open-source software initiatives with the goal of developing common technologies for use in the Moblin and Maemo projects. The technologies will deliver Linux-based operating systems for the yet-to-be-announced mobile-computing devices.

Moblin is an optimized open-source Linux operating system that delivers visually rich Internet media experiences on Intel Atom processor-based devices, including netbooks. Maemo is a Linux operating system, mostly based on open-source code, that powers mobile computers such as the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

Nokia and Intel are coordinating their open-source technology selection and development. Collectively, the companies said these technologies will provide an open source, standards-based means to deliver mobile Internet and communication experiences with rich graphics and multimedia capabilities.

"Today's announcement represents a significant commitment to work together on the future of mobile computing, and we plan to turn our joint research into action," said Kai Öistämö, executive vice president of devices at Nokia. "We will explore new ideas in designs, materials and displays that will go far beyond devices and services on the market today. This collaboration will be compelling not only for our companies, but also for our industries, our partners, and, of course, for consumers."

Ripe for Mobile Change

Although few details have emerged about what these smartphones and "other mobile devices" will look like, analysts said the market is ripe for a next-generation blend of smartphone technologies and perhaps netbooks or tablet-style computing devices.

"Nokia is the world's largest handset manufacturer, but it's not a big player in the smartphone field. Apple, RIM and Palm all have a bigger footprint in the smartphone space," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT . "The deal with Intel could provide Nokia a step into markets in which it would probably like to perform better."

For Intel's part, the company has sought ways to enter the mobile-device space for some time. King said the Atom architecture may be a good fit for the next-generation devices Intel and Nokia are proposing.

"The notable aspects of the two partners are what makes the announcement notable. We are not quite sure where we are going," King said. "There are lots of options and opportunities. We're quite a ways from seeing commercial products coming out of the deal."