Palm and Symbian release new developer tools

Palm's Mojo Software Development Kit will be released to all developers

Mobile phone firms Palm and Symbian made a renewed push on Thursday to bring in more developers.

Palm said that it will release its Mojo Software Development Kit (SDK) to all developers, allowing them to create software for use with Palm's webOS. The new operating system currently runs on the Pre handset and will be shipped with future smartphones from the company.

The MojoSDK had previously been limited to a closed 'early access' developer group.

Meanwhile, open-source smartphone platform Symbian is getting a developer push of its own.

The Symbian Foundation unveiled its 'Horizon' developer programme on Monday, which will allow developers to submit applications to Symbian for review, after which the software is certified by the group and uploaded to three different online stores for distribution.

The group hopes that the campaign will operate in a similar way to book publishing, in which developers allow a third-party 'publisher' to distribute the applications to various stores.

"The purpose of the platform is to simplify the process for developers to publish applications to the dozens of existing Symbian apps stores," the foundation said on its site.

"Horizon services will include assistance with application certification, technical development issues, language translation, application publishing to third-party stores and co-marketing opportunities."