Virtualization technology has allowed Intel Macs to run Windows and Linux natively, bringing the best parts of all those OSes to a single platform. Peter Richards, with startup VirtualLogix, believes the same opportunities exist on the mobile platform, and Cisco, Motorola and Intel agree, according to BusinessWeek on Tuesday.

The sales of virtualization products are soaring, and VirtualLogix in Sunnyvale, Calif. is among several companies that are using their expertise to take virtualization to mobile phones. The technology could not only help bring the best apps of several different mobile OSes to a single phone, but it could also help manufacturers better compete with Apple’s iPhone.

On Monday, it was revealed that VirtualLogix has received a cash infusion from Motorola.

Virtualization on the mobile phone works the same was as it does on the PC or Mac. Multiple operating systems, including Symbian, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Google’s Android could all be running on the same phone. This would go a long way towards eliminating the tedium of porting apps across multiple phone OSes and bring the best apps together in a single phone.

"Ultimately, the [mobile] winner is going to be determined by their ability to manage security, costs, and time [to market]," said Steve Subar, CEO of Open Kernel.

As a result, the user could have the best e-mail application from RIM, the best browser from Android, and the best chat client from another OS running simultaneously. It could also help with security in that only the most trusted of the suite of applications would be given full access to the phone.

This is still a very new technology, and success will depend on a big investment from many different companies and manufacturers. If successful, the days of carrying a RIM BlackBerry for e-mail and a Nokia for browsing and video would come to an end. However, while while the technology could greatly benefit Apple’s competitors, whether the sum of all those parts and ventures can exceed Apple’s OS X based iPhone remains a huge uncertainty.