The hub of the community that is creating the future of mobile

Even a big happy family like the Symbian Foundation needs some adult supervision from time to time. Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) about just how the Symbian Foundation is operated and run.

Who decides how the Symbian Foundation operates?

The foundation is governed by its Board of Directors. The foundation operates as a meritocracy based on contribution, holding annual elections to appoint members to the Board of Directors. One of the benefits of membership is the right to vote in the annual elections.

Four community-driven councils have been set up to guide future directions and development. These four councils are:

Features and Roadmap council - sets the overall plan and direction of the platform and tools roadmaps, based on input and contributions from the community

Architecture council - guarantees the overall integrity of the platform by working closely with contributors to the platform and reviewing technical proposals. This council is tasked with maintaining compatibility across platform releases

User Interface council - works to ensure that devices based on the Symbian platform deliver the best user experience by developing guidelines and making recommendations

Release council - coordinates the integration of community contributions into stable and timely platform and tools releases

The councils can, in turn, set up temporary working groups to investigate and advise on specific issues. The members of the Board of Directors have seats in each council, with additional seats available for other foundation members. The foundation will operate as a meritocracy, with board and council membership allotted based on contribution to the platform.

The Symbian Foundation will always be transparent to the outside world by making information freely available for comments or contributions.

What companies are members of the board?

The initial members are Nokia Corporation, Fujitsu Limited, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, AT&T Mobility LLC, NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc., ST Microelectronics NV, Texas Instruments, Incorporated and Vodafone Group Services Limited.

Are the Symbian Foundation board members also the funding members?

The foundation operating expenses are shared equally among the device manufacturers on the board.

Who chairs the Symbian Foundation board?

Lee Williams chairs the Symbian Foundation board.

What type of entity is the Symbian Foundation?

We are a non-profit corporation, Symbian Foundation Limited, incorporated in England and Wales.

Who owns the Symbian Foundation?

As a foundation, it is not owned by any single entity. Instead, it is guided by an independent board of founding members, each of whom holds one equal vote. Symbian Foundation Ltd. was registered at Companies House in London, as an entirely new and independent company on August 28, 2008.

The assets of the Symbian Foundation are owned by the members.

For more info about the structure of the Symbian Foundation, see our Legal FAQ.