Ericsson, which, together with Sony owns handset maker Sony Ericsson, announced a new software solution that just might help its competition as much as it helps the company's own cell phone biz.

InformationWeek reports that the company has unveiled a new platform for manufacturers to help them add multimedia and other advanced functions to their devices. Ericsson came out with the U500 platform in response "to the growing demand for multimedia and better user experience on mobile devices," according to the article.

The platform can be used in Internet-enabled devices beyond cell phones to add things like a high-quality camera or camcorder, 3D functionality, CD-quality audio and superior video quality, the company said.