Virtualisation Leads Mobile Trends For 2011

Announcing 4G, for real

In 2010, operators began 4G rollouts in select areas, accompanied by overhyped interim data services. 2011 will bring actual 4G LTE networks into service, but don’t expect a short-term revolution in user experience. Current handset designs throttle 4G bandwidth by limiting wireless input/output concurrency – slinging packets upstream and down at high speeds (megabits, not kilobits/second) is the hallmark of LTE.

To address this need for speed, OEMs will start designing and deploying handsets using multicore silicon, enabled by mobile virtualisation. This dynamic duo will help OEMs and operators deliver on the promise of 4G data rates starting in late 2011 through 2012.

Mainstream multicore in mobile

High-end smartphones already deploy multicore ARM CPUs, but mostly in pricier devices and mostly to run applications OSes (and nothing else). The coming year will see dual-core ARM silicon drop in price, with 2012 bringing 3x and 4x silicon, including processors built on ARM Cortex-A15. As multicore mobile chipsets become mainstream in 2011, the extra computing power will consolidate gains by mass market smartphones, enhancing the user experience without impacting price.

The future of multicore in mobile is bright – more computing power at affordable price points for mass market products. Challenges arise from added software complexity – taking full advantage of new silicon resources without introducing software vulnerabilities: shortening battery life or encountering the perennial specter of late delivery.

Metatrend – synergy powered by virtualisation

While distinct from one another, the trends for 2011 and beyond reinforce one another in interesting ways: virtualisation enables Cloud Computing, multicore supports 4G rollout, LTE data rates accelerate Enterprise Mobility adoption, etc. Emergent phenomena also abound: mass market smartphones drive application sales and vibrant apps marketplaces create pull for the smartphones running those apps.

Across the ecosystem, from silicon to software to services, the most significant underlying enabler is virtualisation. Virtualisation in the Cloud and data centre, on the desktop and in ubiquitous handsets. Mobile virtualisation is not new – over one billion phones already deploy my OK Labs’ OKL4 Microvisor. In 2011, we’ll see mobile virtualisation reach its actual potential, reinforcing the above trends and other types of innovation.

Steve Subar is CEO of OK Labs, provider of open source virtualisation software for mobile devices, consumer electronics, and embedded systems.