A new report today suggests that instead of snatching up a mobile operating system whose future is uncertain at best, Samsung hopes to help grow their Bada OS by making it open-source within the next year.
Taking a page out of Google’s book, Samsung is looking at the open-source paradigm as a way to drum up developer support for Bada. Their ideal end result? A more compelling software package to connect with their high-end smartphone lineup.
Samsung is also considering expanding Bada’s presence by taking it to a smart television near you. While their current smart TVs use a proprietary OS, a Bada-powered television could help unify their mobile and home experiences.
Typical of the Wall Street Journal, this news comes straight from the mouth of “a person close to the situation,” but if true, it’s a move that makes much more sense than buying up a completely separate platform. Samsung has been sitting on top of a completely serviceable OS for nearly two years now, but it’s more-or-less only ever found its way to middling handsets. That said, devices like the recently announced Wave 3 are no slouch — Samsung just needs to shore up Bada with more developer support, and taking the platform open-source could yield some really interesting results.
Of course, that’s not the only reason Samsung would be doubling down on their own OS. In the aftermath of the Google/Motorola deal, a renewed focus on Bada means that Samsung can also try to lessen their reliance on using Android in their product lines. The situation hasn’t forced things to come to that, but if Google ever starts giving Motorola preferential treatment with Android, Samsung will have something of a safety net built up.
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