WebOS will also move along the spectrum. Once automatically paired with Palm and then HP as a pure vertical play, webOS now becomes a horizontal operating system, presumably available to any company that meets HP’s licensing terms.
In short, within the past few days, Android (likely) became less open while webOS became more open. Both of those shifts will shape the future of the mobile industry. It also appears more likely that there is only room for a few mobile ecosystems to thrive. When asked to pick the probable winners, experts typically cite three: Apple/iOS, Google/Android and either Microsoft/Windows Phone or RIM/BlackBerry. In the past, webOS occasionally made the cut but today’s news will likely strike it off most lists.
Industry analyst Rajeev Chand, a managing director at Rutberg & Co., says this week’s events have prompted the question of whether a major independent mobile operating system can survive. In an email, Chand noted, “Is a tightly coupled hardware/software solution required to succeed in mobile? Will major [device makers] want their own operating system, around which they can build an ecosystem of developers and an integrated portfolio of devices?”
HP’s Thursday revelation shows there is more than one answer to these questions.
