The new rumor on the street is that Google stopped Acer from releasing a device that ran on a non -Android operating system. Acer was at first planning to release a low end phone that ran on Aliyun OS, a Chinese operating system based on Linux. The phone was meant to release in China, modeling itself as cheap and affordable.
Reuters once reported that Acer had joined hands with Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce firm for the joint venture, which involved making a phone that ran on Aliyun OS. The companies were ready to announce the release of the phones to a gathering of journalists, but suddenly the launch of the phone had been shut down and people were barred from entering the venue for the event.
A spokesman from Alibaba made the following statement: ”Our partner received notification from Google that if the new product launch with Aliyun went ahead, Google would terminate Android product cooperation and related technical authorization with Acer.”
Google is this light, allegedly threatened Acer, with terms stating that they wouldn’t be allowed to make Android devices if they did release the Aliyun phone. This comes against a strange back drop where Google does not really tax its partners who are experimenting with Windows Phone. Or will they?
The new development in China is disturbing to say the least and would now probably show the software giant in a different light. Google’s spokesman did make a statement later, saying that they didn’t allow Acer to make a phone that ran on Aliyun OS because Acer is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, which was created with Google’s backing way back in 2007 as part of the launch of the Android OS. (Acer joined OHA in 2009) The statement said:
“Compatibility is at the heart of the Android ecosystem and ensures a consistent experience for developers, manufacturers and consumers. Non-compatible versions of Android, like Aliyun, weaken the ecosystem. All members of the Open Handset Alliance have committed to building one Android platform and to not ship non-compatible Android devices. This does not however, keep OHA members from participating in competing ecosystems.”
