The popular chip designer ARM Holdings has recently unveiled a very daring and tempting plan, that of developing an open source (Linux-based) mobile platform. The new project that ARM Holdings wants to develop in collaboration with other six companies is aiming to deliver a rich and full Internet experience for the owners of the new generation ultra-mobile computers.

ARM Holdings and its partners have announced their joining forces for developing the new computing platform for these high tech devices with the occasion of the fourth annual ARM Developers’ Conference from Santa Clara, California. The project’s result is to be a Linux-based open-source platform for the so called UMPCs (ultra-mobile PCs) that will include a mobile operating system, an application development framework and an Internet browser. The ultra-mobile PCs are next generation sophisticate devices that are typically larger and even more powerful than the BlackBerry-style smart phones, for example. The announcement made by ARM Holdings and its six partners represents also a direct shot at Intel, which has recently announced its own ambitious plans for ultra-mobile PC silicon and software.

The six other companies that are involved in this program are Samsung, Texas Instrumentals, MontaVista, Marvell, Movial and, obviously, Mozilla.

Over the next ten years the market for the ultra-mobile PCS is expected to grow by more than 20%, as the industry research company In-Stat has revealed.