Advocates of open web standards had much to cheer at the Mobile World
Congress in Barcelona with the announcement of the first commercial
build of the Firefox OS open mobile ecosystem. The first wave of Firefox
OS devices are expected to be available worldwide in the coming months.
The open web device initiative has already found support with key
telecom operators around the world.
A press release issued by Mozilla on the launch of Firefox OS on
February 24 read: “Firefox OS smartphones are the first to be built
entirely to open Web standards, enabling every feature to be developed
as an HTML5 application. Web apps access every underlying capability of
the device, bypassing the typical hindrances of HTML5 on mobile to
deliver substantial performance. The platform’s flexibility allows
carriers to easily tailor the interface and develop localised services
that match the unique needs of their customer base.”
Mozilla has said it was working with Alcatel (TCL), LG and ZTE to build
the first Firefox OS devices, with Huawei to follow later in the year,
all powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
“Firefox OS brings the freedom and unbounded innovation of the open Web
to mobile users everywhere,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla. “With the
support of our vibrant community and dedicated partners, our goal is to
level the playing field and usher in an explosion of content and
services that will meet the diverse needs of the next two billion people
online.”