The Gnome Foundation, the body behind the Linux desktop environment of the same name, has thrown its support behind a mobile version of the operating system with the creation of the Gnome Mobile & Embedded Initiative (GMAE).

The initiative is designed to advance the use, development and commercialisation of Gnome components as a mobile and embedded user experience platform.

A number of big names in the mobile industry have already pledged involvement in the project, including Nokia, Intel, Access, Debian, OLPC and Red Hat to name but a few.

The initiative will also involve other Open Source projects such as OpenMoko and industry organisations such as the Linux Foundation and LiPS.

“With the Gnome Mobile & Embedded Initiative, Gnome expands the reach of software freedom to new devices, new markets, and new audiences”, said Jeff Waugh, founder of the Gnome Mobile & Embedded Initiative and a director of the Gnome Foundation board. “Developers will not only have the means to create great mobile and embedded software, but the freedom to envision and create fundamentally new kinds of devices, for entirely new markets.”

The GMAE platform is a subset of the existing Gnome platform with APIs available for developers using C, C++ or Python.