Google has previously made a few moves in the Internet of Things market, but its latest move is likely to cause the biggest splash. Called Android Things, its latest OS is Android’s version to be run smart devices, such as routers, security cameras, bulbs and ovens.
The OS builds upon the Brillo OS, another Android-based operating system which was announced quite a while back. It failed to obtain much traction and wasn’t heard from since.
The OS is meant to work in the background, which opens it to a market to devices of all sorts and types. Development on the platform can be done using the same developer tools as Android, which should make developing much easier for Google’s existing partners.
It interacts with other devices and the cloud through Google’s Weave protocol, first announced with Brillo more than a year back. It has been updated to take use of Google services like the Google Assistant and more.
On the updates front, Google is promising regular OTA rollouts (“updates directly from Google”) from its own servers, which should make them more regular than the majority of Android devices.
Developers will also be able to rollout updates as they see fit, too, which should assist in maintaining high security standards.
Android Things has already started supporting devices such as the Intel Edison and the Raspberry Pi 3, which could be run on the OS with minimal effort.
The news brings Google in real contention with other tech giants which have been building their Internet of Things platforms for quite some time. Expect to see increasing number of devices jump on the bandwagon, soon.
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