UIQ

UIQ (formerly known as User Interface Quartz) by UIQ Technology is a software platform based upon Symbian OS. Essentially this is a graphical user interface layer that provides additional components to the core OS, to enable the development of feature-rich mobile phones that are open to expanded capabilities through third-party applications.

On November 7, 2006, Sony Ericsson announced they had agreed (in principle) to buy UIQ from Symbian Ltd. and run it as a separate subsidiary. The UIQ products would be "openly available, licensed on equal terms to all its licensees". The sale will complete in the next few months "pending regulatory approval and customary closing conditions". The acquisition was completed in February 2007.

On October 15, 2007, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, Inc. announced an agreement for Motorola to purchase a 50% interest in UI Holdings BV, the parent company of UIQ Technology. The two companies worked and invested jointly in the development of UIQ.

UIQ Technology was based in Ronneby, Sweden and situated in the Soft Center Science & Research Park. The first General Manager was Peter Molin and the first Product Manager was Martin Hill. Johan Sanderg was appointed General Manager in 2000.

With the establishment of Symbian Foundation in 2008, UIQ ceased to exist. S60 was the UI choice of Symbian Foundation; UIQ contributed its assets to the foundation. Patrick Olsson of Sony Ericsson announced on October 21, 2008 at the Smartphone Show 2008 in London that UIQ didn't make it, it didn't attract the operator, manufacturer or consumer interest needed to stop it failing.

At the start of January, 2009 the UIQ Technology filed for bankruptcy.

Native applications can be written in C++ using the Symbian/UIQ SDK. All UIQ-based phones (2.x and 3.x) also support Java applications.

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