China could be developing its own operating system that will compete against industry powerhouses like Microsoft, Apple and Google by the end of the year, Reuters reported.
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The goal of this new China-based operating system would be to offer locals an alternative to the imported software of American companies. According to the report, the goal is to have the new operating system available for desktop computers by October with mobile support coming later. Within the next two years, the developers behind the software hope to replace desktop operating systems like Microsoft's Windows and Apple's OS X in the local market. Within the next five years, they hope to take on Google's Android and Apple's iOS in the mobile software market.
China's drive to create a locally developed operating system comes after monopoly and security concerns with American-made software. Both Microsoft and Apple have seen their products banned in some form in China.
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In the global software market, American companies continue to hold a considerable market share with juggernauts like Google, Microsoft and Apple leading the charge. China is doubtless interested in bringing some of these profits back to their shores, which isn't out of the question considering China's growing tech market. Homegrown smartphone maker Xiaomi has already become the largest smartphone seller in China (along with being the fifth largest globally) after being founded in 2010. If Chinese developers can recreate this trend on the software end of things, American companies may be poised to lose some business in that corner of the globe.