Linux-based phones are increasingly prevalent in the marketplace, and demand for them is growing. Supporting information is readily available, whether from industry-analyst reports, e-newsletters or the latest Linux-themed conference.

Spearheading these innovations are semiconductor vendors, device manufacturers and wireless carriers. But what are the end goals of these companies, and what available technologies are driving this market shift?

On the demand end of the equation, both consumers and business professionals increasingly expect new and evolving applications that move beyond such basic phone features as address book, calendar, browsers and Java games. Now they demand cutting-edge smartphone features such as music players, streaming video and e-mail. Counterintuitively, growing interest in these complex applications has begun to lower the cost structure for consumers, as carriers and device manufacturers race to be the first to offer the mobile industry's next killer apps.

The massive popularity and continued growth of Linux is based on several factors.

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