HP WebOS is now open souce, a new life for it

After weeks of wait and desperation, HP CEO Meg Whitman has just announced to everyone that HP  webOS is now an open-source technology. The Linux-based OS with a rocky history has officially risen from the ashes of HP’s TouchPad bungle to be reborn as an open source project.


HP management decision may be taken considering the declining market share of HP and the other mobile operating systems in the market like Android and Apple iOS.WebOS was first introduced by Palm at CES 2009, and was on an upward trajectory, first with the launch of the Palm Pre mobile phone and then when HP scooped up a stumbling Palm for $1.2 billion in 2010. Excitement grew to a fever pitch when HP unveiled an aggressive plan to roll WebOS into everything from their printers, to desktops and laptops to new phones and, most importantly, the HP TouchPad.
A new release from the company mentions that HP will help “accelerate the open development of the webOS platform,” and that the company “will be an active participant and investor in the project.”
HP will definitely create new dimensions in the mobile market but there are are many things to be considered 

• Android is the king of mobile as well as open source operating systems. However, carriers and smartphone makers want to diversify away from Android as well as Apple’s iOS. WebOS could be a nice diversification tool that could splinter Android support. The other reality: The WebOS UI is better than Android’s, but Google’s platform has the apps.
• Open source developers. WebOS will be a new toy and will initially garner interest. One interesting thought is that Android and WebOS code could ultimately merge into either a frankenOS or a threat to Apple’s iOS.
• Meanwhile, HP has remained quiet on the hardware front. After former CEO Leo Apotheker give standalone webOS hardware the axe, it was widely rumored that HP would find a home for the wayward operating system on their scores of printers. HP has alluded to “other hardware manufacturers” potentially running with webOS, but for now we can rest assured that it will indeed live on in the hands of passionate developers.
• Most carriers want a No. 3 platform and presumed Windows Phone and Nokia would be a likely candidate. WebOS could take off and be another headache for Microsoft and a contender for that position.
• RIM is also betting big on BlackBerry 10 OS previously known as BBX. WebOS could steal RIM’s thunder again. Conversely, WebOS could be an option for RIM at a later date.