Nokia wants to increase the use of Linux as the role of its Internet-focused devices grows, company officials said.
 
Nokia has used Linux in its Internet tablets, but they do not have calling functionality. A spokesman for Nokia said that it liked using Linux because it had a large developer community which could result in more attractive programs.
 
Nokia's Chief Financial Officer, Rick Simonson, told an investor conference that Linux was going to be very important. He said the company has been developing the next generation of Linux-based products, which are starting to come to the market.
 
The market for software platforms on cellphones is led by Nokia's S60, built on the Symbian operating system, well ahead of Microsoft's Windows Mobile.