Intel has acquired Linux development startup Opened Hand as a part of the chipmaker's Moblin mobile Linux project.

Moblin is an open source software stack specifically designed for integration with Intel's Atom processors in Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), netbooks, and embedded systems. The project started last year, prior to Asus' release of its Celeron M-based Eee PC -- which is credited for ushering in the netbook craze.

Intel expects the first devices to be released with Moblin will be MIDs by such companies as Asus, Samsung, Founder and TabletKiosk.

Opened Hand is a small London-based software company that has created fundamental software for such companies as Nokia and One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). Its main contributions thus far have been Clutter, a software library for creating OpenGL-based GUIs, and Matchbox, an X11 base environment designed specifically for embedded systems with limited screen real estate.

Both of these projects will continue under Intel's support, and will be absorbed as fundamental parts of the Moblin Software Platform. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.