Chinese software firms to jointly develop new OS

The move comes as China looks to ban Microsoft Windows and other foreign software and hardware

Two Chinese software companies have announced a partnership to build a domestic independent operating system, in efforts to 'provide a better experience to users'.

Tianjin Kylin Information (TKC) and China Standard Software (CS2C), said last week that they are planning to create a new firm in coming days, which will focus entirely on the development, marketing, branding and sales of the new OS. They will sign a formal deal in the coming days.

The new OS, which is yet to be named, will be based on TKC's Kylin and CS2C's NeoKylin Linux systems. Its logo will include the NeoKylin OS logo (a red qilin, an auspicious, mythical animal) and the Kylin OS logo (a blue qilin).

Energy, finance, transportation, and other industriesin China - including government - use both Kylin and NeoKylin widely.

TKC has been working on its Kylin server OS for the past five years and has created three versions, including server, desktop and embedded products.

The NeoKylin Linux OS covers server and desktop versions. It supports mainstream open hardware platforms and is compatible with about 4,000 hardware and software products, according to Han Naiping, general manager at CS2C.

Currently, many programmes that run on Kylin do not work perfectly on NeoKylin, and vice-versa. That poses a major issue with managing a country-wide IT system without incompatibilities. The new domestic OS will unite NeoKylin and Kylin into a common platform.

Shared history

The roots of both operating systems reside in the original Kylin OS, which researchers at the National University of Defence Technology developed in 2001. It was based on FreeBSD, but never acheved much traction among Chinese users.

Presently, CS2C and TKC have a joint 90 per cent market share in the Chinese government sector. The companies have the full support of the government, which is seeking to minimise dependency on foreign operating systems and replace them with domestic products, particularly in light of the China-US trade war.

Just last week, the Chinese government issued a issued a directive ordering all government offices and public institutions to remove foreign computer hardware and software within the next three years. It is likely that Microsoft Windows will be banned by 2022, along with much other foreign-made software.

The move mirrors attempts by the US government to ban Chinese companies from its supply chain and infrastructure.

energy, finance, transportation, and other industries in China.