Facebook depends on Apple and Google to reach billions of its users considering the fact that iOS and Android are the most widely used operating systems. As such Facebook Inc is forced to develop apps for these platforms. As a third-party developer, they have to live with so many restrictions laid out by the platform vendor. Can Facebook match the owners of the world's most popular operating systems? The company tried to alleviate dependence on Apple and Google when they decided to build their own mobile phone which failed eventually.
The operating system would be focused more on future products such as augmented-reality glasses or Oculus. The company has tasked co-author of Microsoft's Windows NT with building the social network giant an operating system from scratch. As reported by The Information, this will grant Facebook access to integrate its social services in the OS.
We really want to make sure the next generation has space for us,” Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s head of hardware, told The Information regarding the company’s plan to build a new operating system. “We don’t think we can trust the marketplace or competitors to ensure that’s the case. And so we’re gonna do it ourselves.
Some technology industry leaders, including Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, believe that AR glasses could one day take the place of mobile phones as consumers’ primary way of connecting to the internet. If that turns out to be the case, Menlo Park, California-based Facebook wants to have more control over the software that operates on those devices. The company has big plans as well. The information also reported that Facebook has teams working on custom silicon chips, an AI-powered voice assistant, and technology capable of reading minds. With all the privacy issues surrounding Facebook, are we going to switch to a mobile device running on a Facebook operating system?
Source: Techcrunch.