Symbian demise continues with web site closures

Foundation will make updates available via DVD and USB on request

The Symbian Foundation is to close its web sites as the day-to-day operations of the non-profit organisation grind to a halt.

Symbian.org, developer.symbian.org and blog.symbian.org are all expected to shut down on 17 December.

The @Symbian Twitter feed and the Symbian.org Facebook fan page are also likely to be discontinued, but Symbian Signed will continue to operate, as will communities hosted outside the Symbian Foundation.

Source code, software development kits, a wiki, bug database, reference documentation and Symbian Ideas will no longer be available via the internet, but the organisation is planning to make them available on DVD or USB if requested.

"Preparing this content will take some time, hence it will not be distributable before 31 January. A charge may be levied for media and shipping, " the Foundation said in a statement.

"As the [Symbian^4 PDK 4.0.a] platform is available online now, we encourage you to download it before 17 December."

Some of the user-submitted content databases will be available on request at [email protected] from 31 January.

Forum Nokia is now the best place to find developer support, offering tools, documentation, technical support and discussion boards, the Foundation added.

The Symbian Foundation will relinquish control of the direction of the mobile platform to Nokia from April, and will exist solely as a legal entity responsible for licensing software and intellectual property such as the Symbian trademark.

Symbian has struggled this year, after handset makers Samsung and Sony Ericsson withdrew support for the platform, and executive director Lee Williams quit his job.