The platform is based on the HTML5 web programming language which Mr Sullivan says gave it an advantage over Apple and Android.

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But HTML5 is inherently cross-platform -- which means you build it once and it can run on any mobile device with a sufficiently advanced browser.

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Recently it added a new product, Pokki, which is a platform for mobile-style apps on desktop PCs.

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This makes it easier for developers to write apps for the QNX platform, which the company is also banking on to revive its smartphone fortunes.

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The upgrade comes after web giant Google announced Monday it is developing a free software package for cell phones that would give it a new platform on which to sell ads and services (See "Google Wants Your Phone, Too" and "Google's Call").

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The upgrade comes after web giant Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) announced Monday it is developing a free software package for cell phones that would give it a new platform on which to sell ads and services (See "Google Wants Your Phone, Too" and "Google's Call").

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And as I said, our view here is that it's quite important for our interest and it's important for the interest of this region for the United States to put the resources in place, to continue to provide what it's provided for the last 60-plus years, which is the foundation, the platform on which you've seen this tremendous rise in economies here and social development.

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