MontaVista Software announced today that the company has joined the non-profit LiMo Foundation to help LiMo’s mission of increasing the adoption of Linux operating system software in cell phones and other mobile devices.

Leading handset manufacturers such as NEC, Motorola, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and others have made MontaVista the most widely used provider of Linux software to the mobile telephony market, and the fastest-growing commercial operating system (OS) provider in that market, according to analyst firm VDC. MontaVista Mobilinux provides an embedded Linux operating system optimized for mobile devices and a rich development environment. Mobilinux enables developers and manufacturers to deliver new handsets to consumers more quickly and with greater functionality, fast performance, and battery-extending power management. More than 35 million smartphones, cell phones, and other mobile devices run on MontaVista Mobilinux, far more than any other commercial Linux.

Tom Kelly, President and CEO of MontaVista, said that the company’s invitation to join the LiMo Foundation was more evidence of the mobile telephony market’s shift to the Linux operating system and Linux development tools as the preferred paths for future growth. He said: “The Symbian and Microsoft Windows operating systems may have supporters, but the manufacturers who are members of LiMo all want to use Linux to deliver better mobile devices. By joining LiMo, MontaVista aims to make a significant difference in the success of the LiMo Linux platform and in the growth of the Linux community.”

The LiMo Foundation, launched in January 2007, is a non-profit organization of companies working together to create the world’s first globally competitive Linux-based software platform for mobile devices. Handsets supporting the LiMo platform are expected to reach consumers in the first half of 2008. As the leading supplier of Linux for mobile devices, MontaVista will play an important role in the LiMo Foundation’s efforts.

“MontaVista embedded Linux powers tens of millions of mobile devices today, so its expertise will be extremely valuable in helping the LiMo Foundation reach its goals,” said Morgan Gillis, Executive Director of the LiMo Foundation. “And by supporting a very broad range of processors and boards, MontaVista increases the number of manufacturers and developers who can work with LiMo. We are very pleased to have MontaVista join the LiMo Foundation.”