S Korea to build mobile OS

South Korean government has called on Samsung and LG to join it in a consortium to develop an open source mobile phone operating system, reports ft.com.

Samsung and LG are the world's second- and third-biggest makers of mobile handsets but their software is much weaker than their hardware. Their most successful smartphones have relied on Google's Android operating system.

ZDnet reveals that the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy deputy minister Kim Jae-hong says the plan is to create Web-centric operating systems first for PCs and laptops, and then for smartphones and tablets.

“We will forge ahead in developing a new kind of operating system, which is being seen as a next-generation product, in order to build the kind of advantage we do not enjoy in the market for smartphones and tablet PCs, which is dominated by Google and Apple,” says Kim.

Earlier this month, Google purchased Motorola Mobility in a deal worth $12.5 billion, states CBR Online.

The search giant says the move will enable it to “supercharge” the Android ecosystem and boost its patent portfolio, protecting it from threats from Microsoft and Apple.