News, Opinion/Editorials

Licensing webOS: Its probably not what you think

By: David Baxter, 7/6/2011 1:54 pm | 86 comments

Random picture of the day

Early this morning All Things D came out with an article about HP and their strategy now that the TouchPad is out in the open.

Some of it talks about the leaked memo from a few days ago. Another part talks about scale and webOS and all that good stuff. Nothing new here…

Drop down to the second half though and things get a bit juicy. We have talked a lot about licensing webOS, but based on this article we may have been barking up the wrong tree. Is HP looking to license webOS? It certainly is looking that way, but maybe not in the way we have previously been thinking.

The question we have been asking up until now is who would start making phones and tablets with webOS on them. Hints have shown that Samsung is in the running, but there has always been the quote from Ruby that gets in the way. Here it is again:

HP is willing to partner with one or two special companies”. He went on further to add “We will not license a partner who launches its devices with Android, Microsoft (Windows Phone) and webOS. We want a partner who really wants to deliver a very unique ecosystem.”

So how do these seemingly opposite ideas work together? I think today’s article gives us the answer.

“Our focus always has been to make webOS available to partners that expand the ecosystem, and we will continue to be open to that,” Bradley said. Of course, Bradley doesn’t need a reminder that licensing an operating system while using it in one’s own products can be a tricky proposition. Bradley learned that firsthand during his own stint as head of Palm. Rather than license the OS to companies that would compete head-on with HP’s webOS products, Bradley suggests that the company is most interested in licensing to companies that would take webOS in a new direction.

“That’s exactly what we would look for, someone who would go in spaces that we are not in,” Bradley said.

The answer is webOS Toasters!! Not really, but it is kind of in the same vein. We have heard over and over how HP wants to control its own fate…make the entire pipeline from the hardware to the software. Licensing webOS to companies who make competing products flies in the face of this goal.

But what if HP licensed webOS to Samsung to put in a television? Or licensed it to Ford to put in their cars? These would increase the brand of webOS without getting in the way of the overall vision.

All the pieces are coming together now…HP won’t license webOS to competitors, it will license it to partners in other verticals where they don’t have a presence. A very exciting premise to be sure. Wonder what the “coming months” will bring this time?

Aside from toasters…what other devices would webOS be awesome in?

Source: All Things D
Thanks for the tip cazed!

About David Baxter

David is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of webOSroundup. When not toiling away at WOR he is usually with his family, at church, building a website of some kind or another, or playing a video game. @davidbbaxter

View all posts by David Baxter →

http://twitter.com/Gutt3 Nicholas G

instead of toasters you ask?….TOASTER OVENS!!!!

but this sounds better than losing grasp of webos by letting htc put it on their phones..(as much as i would want them to)

Maldonadojimmy

That will be nice the EVO WebOs
Maldonadojimmy

That will be nice the EVO WebOs
Maldonadojimmy

That will be nice the EVO WebOs

http://Bungie.net TheKingOfHalo

Every-night I dream of EVOs running webOS :p

http://twitter.com/MrKal_El Mr Kal-El

The UI & intuitiveness of webOS makes it great to be on ANY consumer device/appliance: TVs, Fridges, Monitors, Cameras, NAS’s etc… webOS just Rocks.
http://twitter.com/DaHui623 Phillip Carper

Cars, for sure. Always thought it would be cool to have WebOS running on an in car system. Especially with a touch sensitive pad on the steering wheel for swiping.

Anonymous

Yes, please. The car market is *dying* for good UI/UX. Bought a “touch screen” double din unit last year, and A) the UI is horrible, and B) it’s terribly unresponsive. Toys with iOS and webOS have spoiled me.

You could totally market webOS with Beats Audio to the aftermarket car audio crowd, too, in addition to OEM devices.

dmm

The one thing is that the article refers to Ford; given Ford’s existing partnership with Microsoft on this sort of thing, HP is more likely to get something going with another carmaker (or more) as a way to compete.

And +1 on Beats Audio for aftermarket car stereos.

Steven

Good cause I would never buy a ford to me they just suck..

http://Bungie.net TheKingOfHalo

You suck, Ford’s awesome n00b.
http://Bungie.net TheKingOfHalo

You suck, Ford’s awesome n00b.
http://Bungie.net TheKingOfHalo

You suck, Ford’s awesome n00b.

Anonymous

It would probably be Chrysler since the new 300 has Beats Audio and a commercial with Dr. Dre.

dmm

The one thing is that the article refers to Ford; given Ford’s existing partnership with Microsoft on this sort of thing, HP is more likely to get something going with another carmaker (or more) as a way to compete.

And +1 on Beats Audio for aftermarket car stereos.
Caleb

License it to pioneer :) ur right, WebOs would totaly kick aSh gps navigation devices, hell even on future gaming console? Ideas are endless.
MarkP

I’ve seen replacement ‘head’ units for cars being sold by some enterprising Asian companies, that are basically touchscreen Linux boxes with DVD drives and SD card slots. GPS, info-tainment, the whole nine yards, matched to the car of your choice (double-DIN or whatever you’ve got) and with wiring harnesses that more or less match your car (sometimes more, sometimes less). And, they’re cheaper than mainstream models. Now performance is the great unknown.

I’ve been waiting for one of these tablet manufacturers to team up with an Alpine or Kenwood or other manufacturer to allow their tablet to drop right into the head unit. That would be ideal.

http://www.facebook.com/sweetgreggo Gregory Gammill

I’ve been saying all along if HP wants to license webOS to Samsung to put on refrigerators and televisions then more power to them. JUST NOT PHONES OR TABLETS. HP needs to keep that in house. (and maybe a PMP?)
http://www.facebook.com/sweetgreggo Gregory Gammill

I’ve been saying all along if HP wants to license webOS to Samsung to put on refrigerators and televisions then more power to them. JUST NOT PHONES OR TABLETS. HP needs to keep that in house. (and maybe a PMP?)

jbrandonf

PMP is a must. The iPod Touch is in a market all its own because Google won’t allow access to their Market without certain specifications. HP just really needs to clean up the music player.
jbrandonf

PMP is a must. The iPod Touch is in a market all its own because Google won’t allow access to their Market without certain specifications. HP just really needs to clean up the music player.

http://www.gregmadhere.com Greg Madhere

They should license to RIM. RIM needs it a little more since they are hurting right now. WebOS gets excellent RIM messaging capabilties, keyboards, and bbMessenger. RIM is entrenched in corporations already. I think it would be a good fit.

http://www.facebook.com/sweetgreggo Gregory Gammill

I imagine HP would rather RIM die then take their business.
jbrandonf

Why would RIM license webOS when they’ve worked so hard to copy it?

http://www.gregmadhere.com Greg Madhere

True. They have, but they still don’t have access to the ecosystem HP is trying to build with other types of connected devices in the corporate environment.
pareinai

LOL I made the exact same comment as Greg at PC Mag 2 months ago, and received the exact same response from “quietstorms”

What RIM Must Show Us at Blackberry World
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384630,00.asp
pareinai

LOL I made the exact same comment as Greg at PC Mag 2 months ago, and received the exact same response from “quietstorms”

What RIM Must Show Us at Blackberry World
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384630,00.asp
pareinai

LOL I made the exact same comment as Greg at PC Mag 2 months ago, and received the exact same response from “quietstorms”

What RIM Must Show Us at Blackberry World
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384630,00.asp

jbrandonf

Why would RIM license webOS when they’ve worked so hard to copy it?

http://www.gregmadhere.com Greg Madhere

They should license to RIM. RIM needs it a little more since they are hurting right now. WebOS gets excellent RIM messaging capabilties, keyboards, and bbMessenger. RIM is entrenched in corporations already. I think it would be a good fit.
http://www.gregmadhere.com Greg Madhere

They should license to RIM. RIM needs it a little more since they are hurting right now. WebOS gets excellent RIM messaging capabilties, keyboards, and bbMessenger. RIM is entrenched in corporations already. I think it would be a good fit.
Doramjan

I want to see webOS on a business-class set-top phone, kind of like the Cisco Cius or Avaya Flare.

http://twitter.com/bnceo Robbie C

Would be a day 1 buyer on that one. Love a nice corded business like phone.

http://twitter.com/brandoli0n Brandolion

Well, Samsung makes TVs, blu-ray/DVD players, phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, camcorders, washers, dryers, and fridges. Imagine having webOS on those devices (minus the phones and tabs). I’m not too sure that Samsung would use webOS on TVs instead of Android/Google TV, but it’s a possibility. And there are other companies: LG, Sony, etc. Imagine controlling your webOS integrated TV with your 7″ Opal (a la Wii U http://engt.co/kzdKty (or whoever came out with it first)).

Cars too. webOS smarthomes. The possibilities are endless.

Chirurgie

I have a Samsung fridge! Could I ever update the firmware on it to WebOS? Sends me messages to buy milk? :D

I think car link up would be one of most attractive & market the hell out of it. A fully ‘tech-ed up’ car with WebOS, I would buy one!

http://twitter.com/brandoli0n Brandolion

Well, Samsung makes TVs, blu-ray/DVD players, phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, camcorders, washers, dryers, and fridges. Imagine having webOS on those devices (minus the phones and tabs). I’m not too sure that Samsung would use webOS on TVs instead of Android/Google TV, but it’s a possibility. And there are other companies: LG, Sony, etc. Imagine controlling your webOS integrated TV with your 7″ Opal (a la Wii U http://engt.co/kzdKty (or whoever came out with it first)).

Cars too. webOS smarthomes. The possibilities are endless.
http://www.facebook.com/leviwallach Levi Wallach

This would be a positive thing, and perhaps a “secret weapon” for getting webOS into more people’s hands without them even making that decision. Android has been doing this too of course and it’s expanded mostly notably to e-readers as well as other devices. Even so, cellphones, even smartphones, are far more ubiquitous (and re-purchased more frequently) than cars and tv’s. My sense is that while this will help, it will help a lot less than if they let PHONE (and tablet) manufacturers put webOS on their devices. Given HP’s sluggishness in getting these products to market (especially given that hardware is one of their core areas), I think at this point they need all the help they can get. If they can’t provide the “scale” that they kept tauting when they purchased Palm and use it to help Palm get stuff out in a reasonable amount of time, they need to look to companies who can or be faced with having an irrelevant product. A good one, no doubt, but one that consumers just ignore because it’s not put on competitive devices…
http://www.facebook.com/leviwallach Levi Wallach

This would be a positive thing, and perhaps a “secret weapon” for getting webOS into more people’s hands without them even making that decision. Android has been doing this too of course and it’s expanded mostly notably to e-readers as well as other devices. Even so, cellphones, even smartphones, are far more ubiquitous (and re-purchased more frequently) than cars and tv’s. My sense is that while this will help, it will help a lot less than if they let PHONE (and tablet) manufacturers put webOS on their devices. Given HP’s sluggishness in getting these products to market (especially given that hardware is one of their core areas), I think at this point they need all the help they can get. If they can’t provide the “scale” that they kept tauting when they purchased Palm and use it to help Palm get stuff out in a reasonable amount of time, they need to look to companies who can or be faced with having an irrelevant product. A good one, no doubt, but one that consumers just ignore because it’s not put on competitive devices…
http://www.facebook.com/leviwallach Levi Wallach

This would be a positive thing, and perhaps a “secret weapon” for getting webOS into more people’s hands without them even making that decision. Android has been doing this too of course and it’s expanded mostly notably to e-readers as well as other devices. Even so, cellphones, even smartphones, are far more ubiquitous (and re-purchased more frequently) than cars and tv’s. My sense is that while this will help, it will help a lot less than if they let PHONE (and tablet) manufacturers put webOS on their devices. Given HP’s sluggishness in getting these products to market (especially given that hardware is one of their core areas), I think at this point they need all the help they can get. If they can’t provide the “scale” that they kept tauting when they purchased Palm and use it to help Palm get stuff out in a reasonable amount of time, they need to look to companies who can or be faced with having an irrelevant product. A good one, no doubt, but one that consumers just ignore because it’s not put on competitive devices…
http://www.facebook.com/leviwallach Levi Wallach

This would be a positive thing, and perhaps a “secret weapon” for getting webOS into more people’s hands without them even making that decision. Android has been doing this too of course and it’s expanded mostly notably to e-readers as well as other devices. Even so, cellphones, even smartphones, are far more ubiquitous (and re-purchased more frequently) than cars and tv’s. My sense is that while this will help, it will help a lot less than if they let PHONE (and tablet) manufacturers put webOS on their devices. Given HP’s sluggishness in getting these products to market (especially given that hardware is one of their core areas), I think at this point they need all the help they can get. If they can’t provide the “scale” that they kept tauting when they purchased Palm and use it to help Palm get stuff out in a reasonable amount of time, they need to look to companies who can or be faced with having an irrelevant product. A good one, no doubt, but one that consumers just ignore because it’s not put on competitive devices…
http://www.facebook.com/leviwallach Levi Wallach

This would be a positive thing, and perhaps a “secret weapon” for getting webOS into more people’s hands without them even making that decision. Android has been doing this too of course and it’s expanded mostly notably to e-readers as well as other devices. Even so, cellphones, even smartphones, are far more ubiquitous (and re-purchased more frequently) than cars and tv’s. My sense is that while this will help, it will help a lot less than if they let PHONE (and tablet) manufacturers put webOS on their devices. Given HP’s sluggishness in getting these products to market (especially given that hardware is one of their core areas), I think at this point they need all the help they can get. If they can’t provide the “scale” that they kept tauting when they purchased Palm and use it to help Palm get stuff out in a reasonable amount of time, they need to look to companies who can or be faced with having an irrelevant product. A good one, no doubt, but one that consumers just ignore because it’s not put on competitive devices…
Christopher Hamer

How about Touch to share with your HP phone/Touchpad with a Samsung TV :O
Fango

I’m thinking of getting a window7 phone. What you guys think? Then go back to webOS when a phone comes out for sprint.

Anonymous

Pretty much what I’m planning to do now, just waiting for a WP for sprint thats not a slider…
JDM

Gotta play with a Windows phone more… I briefly messed with one at Best Buy. I may do that too, if Spring doesn’t have a phone by Dec.

Scotland

This is interesting. The original reports had Samsung mentioning phones specifically. I thought the licensing strategy described in today’s article was a possibility back in May (when licensing was first mentioned). It made sense then and still makes sense now. I wonder if Samsung’s statements about phones/tablets might be to make some additional noise in order to remind Google that they don’t HAVE to make Android devices and could exercise other options if Google clamps down too hard.

Anyway, here is the link back to the original article. http://www.webosroundup.com/2011/05/samsung-interested-in-licensing-webos/
http://profiles.google.com/anayagamingllc Jason Buffalo

Sorry to say this,but i would not trust WebOS in Critical System, well i would understand Samsung since they also do Consumer Electronics and i would not be surprised if they want there phones connected to WebOS devices as well, but all in all i think we just need to wait and see, what exactly is going on, it is clear that HP internally is lacking Communication, or there is this saying to many Chiefs not enough Indians.
JDM

HP didn’t buy Palm to build phones… I bet if the phones fail, they’ll shrug and move on.
Mark

I would be great for the consumer if webos, ios, android were in all produces. I would have an ecosystem and if some one moved away or came to webos they (the consumer) would not be out. Win win. The products with the most useability would be on top. I love webos. I believe webos would gain a lot of followers in this type of system. The consumer would have a choice with no pressure up front to choose an ecosystem and then pay for it. My two cents.
Mark

I would be great for the consumer if webos, ios, android were in all produces. I would have an ecosystem and if some one moved away or came to webos they (the consumer) would not be out. Win win. The products with the most useability would be on top. I love webos. I believe webos would gain a lot of followers in this type of system. The consumer would have a choice with no pressure up front to choose an ecosystem and then pay for it. My two cents.
Anonymous

imagine opal beats edition in your car with beats webos stereo,a webos fridge that’s gonna notify you when your milk expires and touch-to-share with your tivo and your beats pre 3 or 4 carrying around your tv shows that you are catching up with no need of wifi download just transfer of a large file(movie) in short time…..
Dream ON “works like nothing else”

JDM

Developers would have to make the “Expired Milk” app.
JDM

Developers would have to make the “Expired Milk” app.

Eblank04

If in fact licensing to competitors is out of the question, then what of Apotheker’s answer when Josh T. asked about HTC? ”It’s certainly a conversation we would have”.

Eblank04

Correction: “It is certainly something we would entertain”.

Jim

You do know that ford is using microsoft in there cars already right?
Jim

You do know that ford is using microsoft in there cars already right?
Meken

My major kitchen appliances. My security system. My sprinkler system. My pool equipment.

Oh yeah… Sprint please can I have a pre3 on Sprint?
Meken

My major kitchen appliances. My security system. My sprinkler system. My pool equipment.

Oh yeah… Sprint please can I have a pre3 on Sprint?
http://www.facebook.com/EricTrickster Eric C. Tucker

My firm just switched over to Cisco video phones (gawd…!) But slogging through this interface I could easily see a scaled down webOS replacement, linked to the IP-enabled printers, with webOS on the desktop for ease of videoconferencing.

Also: home stereo/entertainment systems, with a main console based on webOS controlling your television, sound system, lights…
Raskolnikov

Exercise equipment. You could jog or bike and put in your settings and see the results. Then touch to share and keep track over periods of time on your phone. Also on the fridge you could have RFID or at least for now scan w a camera and keep track of your food. Then see it on your pad, phone, comp or samsung tv and print out your shopping list to an hp printer.

Stillherehangingon

Oh yeah! I can see the day when my treadmill rats me out to the frig & my car so I can’t get food til I burn some cals. Skynet IS coming, lol.

Stillherehangingon

Oh, and the tv is locked to the exercise infomercials on max vol and can’t be shut off.
Stillherehangingon

Oh, and the tv is locked to the exercise infomercials on max vol and can’t be shut off.

Steven

Well I would love webos tv but had 2 get a google tv blueray..would b nice.. And who could get webos if all the dang companys have android?? Wouldent it have to be a new brand?? Not cool..
Steven

Well I would love webos tv but had 2 get a google tv blueray..would b nice.. And who could get webos if all the dang companys have android?? Wouldent it have to be a new brand?? Not cool..
JD Evora

My understanding was that was the idea since the first mentions to “licensing Webos” came out and only got focused on phones later on when Apotheker made the coment about HTC
Chris

I’ve long thought the place to start is cameras. (imagine ashton kutcher showing off his new nikon w/ webOS). Video behind that. Then I’d look green.. Think a panel for monitoring power consumption (from home or away), controls the thermostate (w/ quick access to the weather channel!), etc.
Danar

Medical equipment. The patient wears various montors or has them implanted. After a period of time the patient comes back and all info is gathered by a TTS at checkin and is available to the doctor before the patient even enters the exam room. All info is already integrated as to cause and effect. (all this with no push buttons,ha

Danar

P.S. cool cat pic.
David Huss

I think tts would be more useful for programming things like iv machines. The interfaces on those can be a bit clunky and it’d be nice to actually be able to tts the doctors orders from the emr and then only have to double check them on the machine.

you wouldn’t want webos implants as the design is such (currently) that they would not be MRI compatible. That said there are proposals for things like intracranial pressure (for people with shunts to make shure they aren’t blocked) where the device would have a small coil to both communicate and receive power. This is a bit like a touchstone however is mri compatible.

Tonymac32

WebOS Surface. Read it and weep Microsoft.
Redpelio

This is all very nice, but I still believe mobile should be the #1 priority. How many of us don’t have our phones with us every waking minute? Should HP just get out its wallet and buy HTC? That’s my humble opinion.
David Huss

hvac. License it to honeywell for thermostats and make it easier to control a homes heat.

I know this sounds odd but once things get cheap enough, make doorbells/home security. Imagine a touchscreen doorbell that you could touch to share. It could anounce who is making a house call (via tts). If you aren’t home you could let people leave a message. It would also allow ups to leave a package and then send you an instant email that it is on your porch.
David Huss

webos with tts could also be great for programming dumb appliances. setting the time and autobrew on my coffee maker is a pain in the butt. itd be awesome to have an app where i could set everything up and then tts to send the settings over. obviously such appliances wouldnt be running webos, nor would they need an internet connection but such compatibility would be cool and a lot cheaper than a true internet/smart device

David Huss

I suppose a true internet webos cofee maker would be cool to. It’d be nice to have one synched with my phones alarm clock so that coffee is ready whenever I wake up.

Mtv757

well don’t they have a fossil watch running webos. That’s probably what they are talking about….
Theviciousmist

Cash registers and any computers designed for customer assistance in grocery/department stores. Also sign a deal with Mitsubishi so my next vehicle has webOS and Beats.
BradenFontaine

I hope some big wigs are reading these posts to get some genuinely good freakin ideas!
Malette

Wow lots of good ideas indeed. Cameras and registers I’d love to see that. As I’ve said before cars would be awesome especially Ford since that’s my prefence. I’ve also suggested sony many times. They build many products including game systems, tvs, cameras, computers, mp3 players, blurays, and more. How about Fender? I’d love to see some built in software on my new tele or amp. Endless possibilities, but first I think their phone and/or tablets need to take off so the name is out there. On the other hand webOS on other products could make people want it on their phone.
Malette

Wow lots of good ideas indeed. Cameras and registers I’d love to see that. As I’ve said before cars would be awesome especially Ford since that’s my prefence. I’ve also suggested sony many times. They build many products including game systems, tvs, cameras, computers, mp3 players, blurays, and more. How about Fender? I’d love to see some built in software on my new tele or amp. Endless possibilities, but first I think their phone and/or tablets need to take off so the name is out there. On the other hand webOS on other products could make people want it on their phone.
Malette

Wow lots of good ideas indeed. Cameras and registers I’d love to see that. As I’ve said before cars would be awesome especially Ford since that’s my prefence. I’ve also suggested sony many times. They build many products including game systems, tvs, cameras, computers, mp3 players, blurays, and more. How about Fender? I’d love to see some built in software on my new tele or amp. Endless possibilities, but first I think their phone and/or tablets need to take off so the name is out there. On the other hand webOS on other products could make people want it on their phone.
Michael

I am imagining TV’s and Bluray players with a touchscreen remote using WebOS to control the functions.
On another note, I saw a video of what windows 8 will look like and it looks like they stole a few ideas from WebOS. Like the way you swipe between open apps. Funny, it does look a lot like a tablet OS to me. Maybe they are worried about HP putting WebOS on PC’s.
http://www.mikeavello.com Mike Avello

I saw an advertisement in the bag of one of my magazines the other day showing a Samsung Fridge with a “connected screen” on the face of it. First thing I thought of was, “That would be perfect with webOS running on it…” then I remembered hearing about HP in possible talks with Samsung and it all started to make sense. That would be awesome if that would happen.
Mbmacc

How about a slate phone on Sprint. Seriously outdoor products like Garmin handheld GPS. Marine products like fishfinders. Deptfinders.Cycling computers (GARMIN). My biggest desire small rugged slate phones and tablets. Tanks. Handheld missel launchers. Did i mention a phone on sprint. This nexus s is driving me nuts.
David Jarvis

how about dishwashers and vacuum cleaners? Or perhaps medical devices, so the device would be upgradeable instead of having to be replaced when a new edition of Windoze comes out.

Licensing webOS: Its probably not what you think

About David Baxter

Popular Posts