According to a report by The Information, Google is developing another operating system (OS), which will be specifically for low-power “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices. The OS is code named “Brillo,” and the publication claims Google “is likely to release the software under the Android brand, as the group developing the software is linked to the company’s Android unit.” We’re going to take that to mean “it’s based on Android.” This move could prove favorable for Google with an increase in the number of smart-household technology like connected light bulbs, door locks, sensors and the other crazy connected objects the IoT crowd dreams up on Kickstarter. The report also claims that Brillo will be targeted at ultra low-power devices with as little as 32MB or 64MBof RAM. Further, the report also stated that this technology from Google could make it simple for the companies to manufacture smart home appliances such as light bulbs, smart fridges and more. It’s just a little heavy currently as such devices need to boot up, use an SoC, handle input and output, and share or exchange information over a network—all things the Linux-based Android OS is great at. It was a similar case when Android entered the market. It’s up to the hardware vendors themselves right now to design the IoT operating system. Google wants to enter and remove the fragmented mess by offering Brillo for free to OEMs says The Information. The new OS will not only free OEMs from having to create their own IoT communications schemes but it will also position Google as the ‘invisible backbone of tomorrow’s smart home’ points a report by Engadget. The fact that Google owns NestLabs, the company that manufactures smart home appliances like thermostats, security cameras and smoke alarms for the home explains the reason why the new Brillo OS makes sense for Google. If most smart home devices perform on the Brillo OS, this would pave the way for Google to know a large number of information about a user’s daily routine as the time they use their oven or go to sleep as well. Google had earlier attempted to enter the connected home with [email protected], but that unit quietly became invisible. The report says Google executives thought that “it was too early” and dismissed the project. The I/O developers conference starts in San Francisco on May 28 and Google is expected to talk and introduce the new Brillo OS.
