Tizen
According to an industry source on March 11, mobile behemoths in East Asia, in Korea, Japan, and China, are moving to launch a Tizen platform.
Tizen is grabbing the spotlight in that it, in its pursuit open platform, enables formation of an application market beyond the control of companies like Google and Apple. Samsung Electronics and Intel are leading the development push, and in particular, a series of global mobile operators recently joined efforts, gaining traction at an accelerated pace. In the wake of the Mobile World Congress 2013 held in February, telecom operators and manufacturers in Asia actively participated in the move, resulting in emergence in a short period of time as a new counterweight to Google and Apple.
In particular, the move got a boost as KT’s Chairman Lee Suk-chae visited China, just ahead of the event, to meet with China Mobile CEO Li Yue and NTT DoCoMo CEO Kiyohito Nagata. In a meeting designed to discuss ways to enhance OASIS, an app marketplace, the three companies – some of the most prominent firms in their respective countries - reportedly shared ideas for the common goal of setting up the Tizen belt.
If cooperation among the three global telecom giants materializes, that would send a big shock wave through the global mobile industry. With China Mobile’s 700 million subscribers, NTT DoCoMo’s 54 million, and KT’s 18 million, a combination of the three would lead to the creation of the largest cooperative entity in the world.
Currently, KT and NTT declared their intention to actively participate in the Tizen association. China Mobile is somewhat cautious, but with access to Google’s (Android service provider) search service being blocked by the Chinese government, the Chinese firm is actively exploring alternatives. In the process, the company is seriously considering Tizen as its new operating system. In particular, Huawei, the country’s biggest smartphone and network equipment maker, also joined forces, shifting the center of gravity into Tizen.
Experts note that in order to attract active participation from China Mobile, Tizen group should clearly express its intention to open up. One high-ranking KT official said, “China also appears to regret insisting on its independent standards,” adding, “Companies like Samsung Electronics, which are currently leading the move toward Tizen, need to send out a clear message that ‘We will share what we have.”