If Samsung's agenda is any indication, the company plans to announce its new open-source Internet of Things real-time operating system (RTOS) at its developer conference in San Francisco in late April.
PC World reports that the OS, which hasn't yet been named, will help devices to execute simple tasks quickly without human intervention. Software could instruct, for example, a door lock to open and the lights to come on as a person gets close to their home.
A real time OS processes data quickly, with virtually no delay. An example is Intel's VxWorks, which has been used in the Mars Rover, the publication states.
A reference to the new RTOS was spotted in a description about the panel "Choosing a Tiny IoT Real-Time Operating System," which takes place during the Samsung Developer Conference April 27-28. "In this session, Samsung will announce our new, open-source IoT real-time operating system (RTOS), which has a wide scope of features while maintaining a lightweight and efficient footprint," it states.
A Samsung representative was not immediately available for comment to FierceWirelessTech.
PC World says the OS could turn out to be a pared-down version of Tizen, which is already used by Samsung in smartwatches and TVs. Samsung's plan for the IoT is to equip homes with Internet-connected appliances like refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and bulbs, all of which could potentially use the new OS.
Last year, Samsung unveiled its set of Artik-branded modules that contain the processors, memory, communications chips and software required for device makers to create connected devices, competing with products from the likes of Intel and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM).
Samsung acquired Palo Alto, Calif.-based SmartThings in 2014 with the intent of having SmartThings operate as an independent company within Samsung's Open Innovation Center group. The smaller company at the time said it wanted to leverage Samsung's global scale to realize its long-term vision. At South by Southwest this year, SmartThings brought its smart home on wheels to the show, thanks to the Samsung SmartThings Airstream.
Interestingly, reports are surfacing that the corporate leaders at Samsung want to shift to a corporate culture that is more akin to a startup. Reuters reports that Samsung's executives will sign a pledge to move away from a top-down culture and toward a working environment that fosters open dialog. Samsung said it also will cut down on unnecessary internal meetings and simplify reporting procedures in order to improve productivity and offer training to employees to strengthen their "winning spirit."
For more:
- see this PC World article
- see this Uber Gizmo article
- see this Reuters report
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