Global mobile operators alliance in the offing

The market for mobile phone operating systems could be destabilised by a new alliance of mobile operators.

Vodafone, Orange and Telecom Italia's TIM are in discussion with other leading operators with a view to forming a powerful global forum.

They would aim to produce an operating system which could compete with Microsoft and current market leader Symbian, the software company that is owned by a number of mobile phone companies including Nokia.

The alliance is also motivated by the mobile operators' desire to drive down the prices they pay for handsets that are either given away or sold at cut prices to users of their networks.