Google is reportedly set to introduce its own Internet of Things platform, which it will show off at Google I/O 2015.
First reported by The Information, Google is working on a new OS codenamed “Brillo” that is incredibly small and will need just 32MB or 64MB of RAM to run successfully for it to be able to be squeezed into even the smallest of Internet of Things (IoT) device.
It’s expected that the new OS will be released under the Android banner with the group working on the initial development of the OS linked to the Android unit that develops the world’s number one mobile OS.
The Internet of Things in general has been of growing interest for all kinds of tech companies, with a number of players releasing their own connected devices and operating systems designed to allow all of these devices to speak to each other.
In fact, Gartner Research suggests that Internet of Things devices will get so popular that there will be approximately 26 billion connected devices by 2020, compared to 900 million recorded in 2009.
Android part of the plan
Indeed, if it is launched with the Android moniker then it will mark a sharp departure from the latest Android build that demanded at least 512MB of RAM to be able to function correctly. The move will allow Google to take a piece of the smart home pie by letting its OS to run everything from smart fridges and light bulbs to locking mechanisms, thermostats and micro-sized wearables.
A report by Engadget points out that the new OS will not only free OEMs from having to design their own IoT communications schemes but it will also position Google as the ‘invisible backbone of tomorrow’s smart home’. We can expect to hear a lot more about its plans at the I/O developers conference next week.
