The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum announced today the publication of specifications, improving interoperability across the Linux-based mobile telephony ecosystem - from software stack suppliers to mobile device OEMs to regional and global wireless operators.

The specifications published include the following: LiPS Reference Model, Address Book and Voice Call Enabler, and User Interface Services (Widget sets, Key Navigation and Text Input Method APIs-based on GTK). Before the end of 2007, the LiPS Forum will finalize the remaining elements of LiPS Release 1.0 by adding specifications relating to Telephony, Messaging, Calendar, IM, Presence and additional User Interface Services API specifications.

The completed specifications are publicly available on the LiPS Forum web site at http://www.lipsforum.org .

The emerging LiPS standards offer a range of benefits to the Linux-based mobile industry, especially in terms of reducing fragmentation, by informing and aligning OEMs, ISVs, operators and other consortia and standards bodies.