Summary: Qt is being slapped in the face by the Microsoft mole and a debate starts about the impact of this move

THE Microsoft-occupied Nokia attacks Linux platforms and harms KDE by proxy, first neglecting Qt components and then reportedly dropping Qt altogether (as we expected 4 years ago). Quoting the main report we found about it:

Word has leaked out that Nokia will be shutting down their Brisbane Australia office next month. This is the office that's responsible for developing and maintaining several Qt components.

Hitting the Qt development list on late Tuesday is word that "the Brisbane Australia office, consisting of the teams working on Qt3D, QtDeclarative, QtMultimedia, QtSensors, and QtSystems modules, as well as the CI/QA team for Qt, will be shut down."

Michael Larabel reaffirms his assertion later:

While word crept out last night that Nokia would be closing down their Brisbane office where several of the Qt components are maintained and developed, it looks like the Qt infliction is going much further. Nokia's now reportedly trying to offload Qt entirely.

To not much surprise, Nokia doesn't want to do much these days with the Norwegian tool-kit now that they're on the Windows Phone bandwagon and letting Microsoft bang their drum. Nokia already parted ways with Maemo and MeeGo (and Symbian) and then last week they put a bullet in Meltemi, their last Linux effort. Now the failing phone company no longer has any use for Qt; Nokia bought out Trolltech in early 2008.

So there we have it. Nokia is showing its hostility towards Linux after the Microsoft entryism. Here is an article someone brought up in IRC (where we still argue on the matter, with some stating that Nokia's move would be good for Qt).

Here is what the report says: "Reports are coming in that Nokia has shut down its Qt offices in Australia and laid off the developers responsible for QML. The staff that was laid off were responsible for developing key aspects of the Qt open-source toolkit including the QML user interface layout. At least one of the laid off developers, Lorn Potter, has told the Qt community that he intends to continue working on the toolkit himself but is seeking new employment." ⬆