Google’s open sourced Android OS: What it has accomplished and what is expected? – Part 1

Google locked horns with Apple in mobile technology in 2008 after the release of its first Android operating system. Since then it has been the ball game of two; other operating systems like Blackberry OS and webOS didn’t stand a chance in the market.

Google’s strategy in mobile computing had been totally different from others. The operating system was made public from the start, offered to the open source community for the betterment of the software. Since 2008, the company has released the numerous
versions and subversions of the OS.

Where the strategy has panned out in the favour of Google in capturing a big chunk of market in smartphones and tablets, it has also posed some threats to the company’s long-term progress. The Android OS is in the open and has the vulnerability to be targeted
by third party developers in using it for their own good. The bad news for Google is that the process has already started, Amazon and Barnes and Noble have started using and tweaking the operating system for their own purposes and Facebook is planning to tow
the same line next year.

Amazon launched its first coloured tablet called the Kindle Fire this year and there is a smartphone in the pipeline. On the other hand, Facebook is planning to release their so called Android-based smartphone somewhere in the mid of 2012. The Amazon tablet
was based on the source code of the Android with major tweaks to the interface. Facebook is expected to follow the same track.

The concept of open sourcing the operating systems is a nice strategy if the company with the original idea wants to gouge the major chunk of market with its source code despite the revenues, more like what UNIX did with its source code in late 70s.

However, despite the steal of the kernel or source code, Android will have the big slice of an even bigger pie. The concept behind the strategy is brilliant. The main purpose of making Android an open source operating system is to compete with Apple’s iOS
has still reigns over the majority of the market.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Dec 29 2011. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry