Alibaba to Launch Mobile OS in Q3; Focus Initially on China (YHOO) (MSFT) (AAPL)
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Alibaba is expected to launch its own mobile operating system (OS) in the third-quarter of 2011.
The Chinese e-Commerce giant, which is 40 percent owned by Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO), is looking to bolster competition in China against Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android, Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS and iPhone, as well as Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows Phone.
According to the WSJ, whcih cites sources on the matter, the Alibaba OS will offer cloud-based services for things such as apps. Android and iOS users typically have to download apps and store them on their mobile devices.
Sources say that the initial offering will target the Chinese market, but there is no reason why the OS will expand elsewhere eventually.
Alibaba's move could be a boon for the Chinese smartphone industry, bringing in users who are currently on the sidelines about making the smartphone commitment.
Further, the news is in contrast to reports over the weekend that Microsoft's Bing will begin providing search results for Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) in China. Click here for more on that.
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The Chinese e-Commerce giant, which is 40 percent owned by Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO), is looking to bolster competition in China against Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android, Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS and iPhone, as well as Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows Phone.
According to the WSJ, whcih cites sources on the matter, the Alibaba OS will offer cloud-based services for things such as apps. Android and iOS users typically have to download apps and store them on their mobile devices.
Sources say that the initial offering will target the Chinese market, but there is no reason why the OS will expand elsewhere eventually.
Alibaba's move could be a boon for the Chinese smartphone industry, bringing in users who are currently on the sidelines about making the smartphone commitment.
Further, the news is in contrast to reports over the weekend that Microsoft's Bing will begin providing search results for Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) in China. Click here for more on that.
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