Google-Motorola deal could close-source Android

WebOS could be an important player in the long run as an open source mobile OS because Android could become closed source with Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility, says HP's CEO Meg Whitman, PC World reports.

"The industry needs another OS," Whitman adds, contending that Android might not remain open source.

Apple's iOS dominates the mobile market, but it is also proprietary, creating a void and an opportunity for WebOS to flourish as an open-source OS, Whitman notes.

WebOS was originally developed by Palm for phones and tablets, Computerworld says.

HP bought Palm in 2010 but late last year revealed it will not make devices that use the software. HP says it would release WebOS to the open-source community.

Whitman says there has been a lot of uncertainty flowing around WebOS, and pledged that the tech giant will continue to contribute to its development.

WebOS had a turbulent ride last year, being relegated from the heart of HP's short-lived cloud device strategy, which would have seen the software embedded into all kinds of devices and appliances, to an open source project, Rethink Wireless states.