Intel’s Mobilin and Nokia’s Maemo, two Linux-based mobile operating systems, will be merged into one platform. Intel and Nokia said the MeeGo platform will extend beyond smartphones and will be flexible enough to scale to larger devices like full-fledged computers or in-car systems.

The first devices running MeeGo, including a new phone from Nokia, are expected to arrive later in 2010.

Both companies will keep their separate application stores: Intel’s AppUp for netbooks, and Nokia’s Ovi software store will remain.

Intel announced its Moblin operating system for low-cost notebooks based on the Atom processor. And Nokia’s Maemo 5.0, first introduced last summer, was expected to replace Symbian in the company’s high-end smartphones. The move would seem to signal the end of both platforms. The recent move to open source symbian also means Nokia still intends to sell smartphones based on its Symbian platform, likely on entry level devices.