China is taking a nationalist position on technology with its own PC and mobile OS.
The principal goal: decrease China’s dependence on US software companies
China may well be one of the fastest growing economies in the world it does not make it any less enigmatic. Undisputed queen of the copy, and even intellectual property theft through all kinds of cyber-shenanigans, it nevertheless seeks to promote an initiative on home technology.
Thus we learn today that China is working on developing its own mobile OS. An OS designed to directly compete with Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The state-controlled Xinhua News Agency was citing U.S. surveillance as one of the reasons Chinese engineers are developing their own OS for desktop computers and mobile devices.
According to Xinhua, the country has been working since March on an operating system for desktop computers which comes with its own App Store. It will be available on the Chinese PC from October with the aim to completely replace Windows in the next year or two.
Nevertheless, the principal target of this initiative is the smartphone. The aim of the Chinese is to replace the current mobile operating systems within three to five years.
Last spring, China banned its government agencies to use Windows 8 in response to an anti-trust investigation. China also cited US spying as a reason for backing its own OS. The Chinese government is worried the US National Security Agency might be inserting backdoors into US software like Windows and Android.
Today it is Google that is concerned. That is not a surprise since no later than last year China accused Google Apps to give too much power to the local mobile industry.
Ni Guangnan, alliance leader behind the development of this new mobile OS “Made in China” recently said that the actions of the Chinese government had an opportunity to: “Create an environment that allows us to deal with Google, Apple and Microsoft. This is the key to success”.
Maria-Alexandra NASUI
Etudiante M2 Commerce Electronique à l’Université de Strasbourg