Texas Instruments has today announced that its Bluetooth and WLAN technology software drivers are available for use in Open Handset Alliance's Android platform. Open access to these technologies simplifies the design process for handset manufacturers and software developers, providing the resources to architect Android-based devices. TI, a long-time supporter of the open source software community, is the first company to provide open source Bluetooth and WLAN software drivers for the Android platform, and is among the first to open WLAN drivers for the mobile industry.
"TI continues to increase its contributions to the open source community, removing barriers and sparking development of a new breed of mobile devices," said Haviv Ilan, general manager, TI's Wireless Business Unit. "Contributing our Bluetooth and WLAN driver source codes to Open Handset Alliance's Android platform is another step in this initiative."
TI previously announced support for the Android platform with its OMAPT3 applications processors, and is now providing the connectivity elements for its BlueLinkT Bluetooth and WiLinkT WLAN technologies. According to TI, pre-integrating the codes into the Android platform places a comprehensive set of tools directly into the hands of developers and handset manufacturers easing the innovation process, while reducing time to market. Additionally, TI leverages the Apache and BSD-style licenses in support of the Android platform. With these licenses, a broader number of companies will be able to adopt the Android platform and build on top of it without having to expose proprietary technologies. This is a competitive advantage that increases flexibility and encourages further adoption of open source software, says TI..
TI joined Open Handset Alliance as a founding member in 2007, supporting Android development with its OMAPT, Bluetooth and WLAN technologies. In addition to Open Handset Alliance, TI participates in a number of consortiums that further promote open source development, including the BlueZ community that provides support for the core Bluetooth layers and protocols.