EU pumps 10 Million into Webinos project, aims to serve up universal app platform
The Webinos project, which looks to provide a universal app environment for all internet connected devices, has received 10 Million in EU funding, it has been revealed.
Led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (Fokus) in Germany, the project aims to stabilise the app market by serving up a platform that can be used on each and every handset - regardless of the OEM or carrier behind it.
It's a set up that, in theory at least, would simplify the development process for studios, enabling each app they develop to run on mobile devices, web ready televisions or cars, without the need to port from platform to platform.
Facing up to fragmentation
"The problem is the extreme platform fragmentation," project lead Stephan Steglich told the BBC, following Webinos' launch last week.
"We have a lot of different platforms that apps run on - the iPhone, Android, Symbian - and that's only on the mobile side. Companies can afford to have an app on two or at most three platforms - they're extremely costly to develop and ensure the user experience."
It's Steglich's view, it's not only consumers that are confused by the scores of platforms available - users often unaware that they're essentially tied to certain purchases depending on which handset they buy.
Developers too suffer as they struggle to reach as many customers as possible across each and every format.
Merging the market"That's what we want to address," continued Steglish.
"[We want] to provide a system that runs on all these platforms and domains, where the developer comes up with one application for one platform and lets you run it on all these devices - mobiles, automotive, gaming, and so on."
Due to run for three years, costs are expected to hit 14 Million by the project's end, although Webinos already has the likes of Sony Ericsson and Samsung on board.
Webino isn't the only project looking to serve up a unified platform, however.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, numerous OEMS and carriers joined together to launch the Wholesale Applications Community, which also aims to produce a common standard for apps across multiple mobile formats.