Rumors Rife: Motorola Developing Web Based OS for Mobiles

The Rumor:

The mobile industry again became a hot topic of controversy when there were murmurs at the rumor-mill that mobile giant Motorola is developing its own web based Operating System (OS). It is on the grapevine that Motorola is basing this OS on network & is aggressively sourcing professionals from Apple & Adobe to get the job done.

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It is also being said that the mobile phone giant is not ready to trust Google completely with its fate. In fact, rumors are rife that the very aim of Motorola developing this OS, is to reduce its dependency on Google's Android OS. It looks like Motorola is already preparing for any future contingency, should anything happen to Moto's partnership with Google. According to sources, Motorola Mobility is in the process of developing the web based mobile OS by harnessing the knowledge of various expert technicians from Apple & Adobe that it has recently recruited.

Why is it a Rumor?

Motorola, of course, on its part did not confirm the existence of any such project. When asked to comment, they reiterated their commitment to the Android platform. But when big boys like Motorola spend huge amounts of money on a project, it would be foolish to think they don't have big plans for it in the future.

The Unknown

Doubts still persist as to how far along Motorola has gotten in their project & how serious they are in seeking an alternative to the Android platform. As per Goldberg, Motorola is determined to not present the image of the old Motorola to the market, where they were used to working on several projects at the same time.

The Known

What is known though is that Motorola's focus on a web-based operating system is reflective of its uncertainties regarding Android, which are the result of Oracle's patent claims against Google. Also, building a mobile OS that is web-based is a very practical move on Motorola's part, as the tools required for developing such a platform are abundantly available. The very fact that HP paid $1.2 billion for Palm and its web based OS is a clear indication that there exists a tremendous market for such systems. The immediate reason being cited for such a move by Motorola are existing concerns about Android fragmentation, product differentiation, and issues related to Google's support for its partners.