Orange to discuss joint mobile OS with Vodafone, others

Orange to discuss joint mobile OS with Vodafone, others: "(Telecompaper) France Telecom-Orange CEO Stephane Richard has invited the heads of Vodafone, Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) to Paris on 8 October to discuss the possible development of a common operating system for mobile devices. He told Le Figaro that mobile operating systems were the Trojan horse used by Google and Apple to establish their own relationships with mobile service customers. Richard said his company was pushing for this world to be as open as possible. The four operators have nearly 1 billion customers combined, representing a real 'force de frappe' (literally 'strike force', or economy of scale) and capacity to influce industry. The initiative could take several forms, Richard added, including a joint venture or a common apps development unit, adding that the operators aim to retake the reigns of innovation, rather than be followers."