The confusing world of standards for mobile versions of Linux became a little less confusing last week with a declaration of "alignment" between two key players.
The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) announced "a formal liaison and framework for cooperation" at the Open Source in Mobile (OSiM) conference in Madrid.

The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum has announced the completion of the LiPS Release 1.0 specifications (download it here), with the intention of enabling mobile industry players to achieve basic interoperability for applications and services deployed on Linux-based phones.

The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum will today release its first specifications in an effort to encourage people to develop more applications for Linux-based mobile phones.

Forbes has published an interview with LiMo Foundation executive director Morgan Gillis. The LiMo chief speaks out on Nokia's acquisition of Symbian, competition with Android, the fold-in of the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum, and a projected 10 new LiMo handsets to be announced this month.

Eighteen mobile handsets that support the LiMo (Linux Mobile) Foundation platform have been announced by Aplix, LG Electronics, Motorola, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Purple Labs, and Samsung. The LiMO Foundation also announced the addition of nine new members, including Access, Orange, and AMD.

Verizon last month joined the LiMo Foundation, an organization that advocates for open mobile phone handset technology using Mobile Linux. As a core member of LiMo, Verizon hopes to lower the development costs of mobile phone designs across the industry.

Azingo, a specialist Mobile Linux outfit which used to go by the name of Celunite, has announced what it claims to be the industry's first Mobile Linux platform based on LiMO Foundation software in the form of a comprehensive suite of open software and services designed to help deliver web 2.0 applications, music and video to a wide range of mobile phones. Azingo Mobile promises to be cheaper and more flexible than existing solutions when it comes to developing, designing and deploying mobile phones.

The LiMo (Linux Mobile) Foundation has endorsed a new Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) industry group established by mobile carriers to devise a common app format. The WAC format will build upon two web-based mobile widget standards: the Open Mobile Terminal Project's BONDI and the Joint Innovation Lab's JIL initiative.

Six major global operators today affirmed their expectation of shipping mobile phones based on the Linux Mobile Foundation's (LiMo's) flavor of Linux during 2009. LiMo, meanwhile, announced its second, more ambitious spec, five compliant royalty-free reference implementations, and two powerful new board members, global mobile operators Telefónica and SK Telecom.