The significant research and development costs associated with creating new mobile operating systems and their accompanying ecosystems could result in consolidation for the smartphone OS market according to a new study issued by research firm Strategy Analytics, which forecasts that smartphone platforms with strong consumer focus and deep R&D budget--i.e., iPhone, Android and Symbian--will ultimately win out.

"Strategy Analytics estimates that smartphone OS vendors currently spend $100-$200 million on R&D on average," analyst Sravan Kundojjala said in a prepared statement. "This, along with the arduous work involved in creating an ecosystem around the OS, could potentially force handset vendors to consolidate their efforts around one or two third-party licensable operating systems." At the same time, the report states the door remains open for new OS entrants, predicting that Nokia's Linux-based Maemo platform is a strong contender to feature in future smartphones.

For more on the Strategy Analytics report:
- read this release [1]

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