Bye 'Boot to Gecko'! Hello Firefox OS

Bangalore: ‘Boot to Gecko’ has been given the boot! Welcome Firefox OS. Mozilla renamed its upcoming Operating System for smartphones.

The popular web browser maker has been working on a mobile operating system based on the technology that runs the Firefox web browser which is called Gecko. Since the name Gecko isn’t well known among the users, Firefox OS is a more logical choice.

However, the name also resembles Chrome OS, Google’s operating system based on the Chrome web browser. While the Chrome OS is designed for laptops, Firefox OS is designed for smartphones but what both Operating Systems have in common is a focus on web technologies. All the apps that will run on Firefox OS, will be written using the tools you’d use to write web apps, including HTML5.

The operating system is based on Linux kernel and comprises some basic software that allows interaction with phone hardware. But at the core, it is Gecko rendering engine that powers most of the software. The phone dialer, clock, music app, and pretty much every other app is in essence just a web page which has been optimized for mobile devices.

Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla stated, "The introduction of the open mobile OS continues the Mozilla mission to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web for users and developers. As billions of users are expected to come online for the first time in the coming years, it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone experience that anyone can use."

Mozilla isn’t merely making a name change to Firefox OS. It has also announced new partners for its project. Phone makers Alcatel and ZTE will produce the first handsets running Firefox OS, and global wireless carriers including Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, and Telefónica are now supporting the Firefox OS initiative. Telefónica is likely to launch the first Firefox OS devices in Brazil in early 2013.