Operating systems get openKylin boost

The launch of China's first desktop operating system developers' platform openKylin is expected to further bolster the innovative development of homegrown operating systems and provide reliable basic software services for the country's industrial chain and global IT facilities, industry experts said.

The openKylin platform is developed by a group of Chinese companies led by China Electronics Corp, the country's largest State-owned comprehensive electronic information enterprise group. Other participants include the China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, Kylin Software and more than 10 other software companies.

The openKylin platform will allow more developers to participate in the innovation and development of homegrown open-sourced operating systems, according to CEC.

Domestic operating systems serve as an important pillar for driving construction of new infrastructure and boosting development of the digital economy, said Chen Ximing, deputy general manager of CEC.

The openKylin platform aims to build a top-tier open-source community with global influence by attracting developers across the globe, he added.

Currently, China's software operating system industry is dominated by foreign labels, such as Microsoft's Windows, Google's Android and Apple's Mac OS.

CEC rolled out the self-developed software operating system Kylin V10 in August 2020, which is compatible with more than 10,000 hardware and software products, including central processing units.

"The establishment of a developer platform concerning the desktop operating system will significantly reduce the costs of software development and improve the operational efficiency of software services," said Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecom industry association.

Xiang said the move is likely to enrich the software application ecosystem, so as to enhance the competitiveness of homegrown operating systems and ensure the country's information security.

Industry experts said the proportion of homegrown operating systems is expected to increase along with the emergence of a variety of software and applications, and the advancement of emerging technologies like cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence.

"The operating system is the core technology in the information security sector," said Ni Guangnan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, adding that the country's operating systems have made progress by leaps and bounds after years of development.

Ni said more efforts should be made to accelerate independent innovations in core software technologies and encourage enterprises to increase research and development investment for higher innovative capacities. It still takes some time before domestic operating systems are used on a large scale, he added.