Nokia and Intel announce new mobile OS called MeeGo at Mobile World Congress

Nokia was at pains to emphasise that MeeGo does not mean it is abandoning its commitment to the Symbian OS. The company said it will offer handsets supporting both OSes.

The tie-up is important to both companies. For Nokia the deal enables it to draw on Intel's expertise in Linux-based devices and software. This could open up the possibility of smartphones and other devices like netbooks and TVs using Intel's Atom processors running the same OS all able to communicate; for example a MeeGo smartphone could function like a TV remote controller and even program a TV to record shows remotely.

For Intel, the deal gives it a powerful ally in its struggle to establish its low power Atom processors in the smartphone market, which is currently dominated by versions of the ARM chip.