Chinese ecommerce company the Alibaba Group is launching its own mobile operating system, wireless communication device manufacturers may be interested to learn.
Before then end of the month, Beijing Tianyu Communications Equipment, a Chinese handset maker, will unveil the first smartphone running on the new operating systems.
Aliyun, the new system, features services including cloud-based email, internet search, weather and mapping, FT.com has reported.
According to the Alibaba Group, servicing many apps from the cloud will create an experience superior to existing operating systems.
Earlier this week, research suggested that sales of smartphones will exceed 420 million devices in 2011.
Market analyst firm IMS Research found that smartphones account for nearly 28 per cent of the entire global handset market.
According to IMS, annual sales will surpass one billion devices by the end of 2016, equivalent to half of all mobile handsets sold.
"But, despite the higher margins for smart-phones, and the seemingly insatiable consumer appetite for converged devices, it is clear that not all OEMs are equally positioned to capitalise on this market trend," Josh Builta, analyst in IMS' Mobile Technologies Group, remarked.
Posted by Simon Jones