“Killer Android” switches to the development of “modular OS” – CNews.ru

Cyanogen CyanogenMod discontinues development

the Company Cyanogen will stop developing OS for mobile devices, the CyanogenMod alternative Android OS from Google. Instead, the company will develop the so-called modules — modifications and additions, which smartphone manufacturers will be able to use in addition to Android.

the Modifications will be created based on individual parts of CyanogenMod. The project is called Modular OS. About changes in strategy the company announced its new Director General Lior Tal (Lior Tal).

Reasons for decision

In an official statement, Tal notes that the Android ecosystem in recent years has become too fragmented, making it vulnerable from the point of view of cybersecurity, and also hampers individual adaptation of the device from a specific manufacturer. Additional services are usually clipped for the greatest return on the underlying product. However, the need for additions and modifications remains that the company hopes to satisfy by using a Modular OS.

Cyanogen stops the development of the alternative Android OS

According to the former Director of the Cyanogen Kirt McMaster (Kirt McMaster), the company simply decided to sell the product, which is difficult to sell as a whole. Producers who do not want to buy a full OS will be able to purchase the parts that have proven more effective in comparison to Android.

What is CyanogenMod

OS CyanogenMod, created in 2010, has a number of advantages over Android. Among them enhanced support for visual themes, codec support FLAC, database access point, OpenVPN client, enhanced reboot menu, support Internet sharing over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB, overclocking, CPU, etc. the List of officially supported devices includes about 250 models, among them the popular gadgets of all brands, including the flagship Samsung devices.

the Best honours CyanogenMod from Android is that manufacturers do not have to pay Cyanogen royalties for every sold device, as is the case with Google. Cyanogen also does not require a preset along with its OS to a large number of applications.

CyanogenMod is free, but it has a commercial version of Cyanogen OS. It is set on their products, vendors such as Alcatel, Wileyfox, BQ, Yu, ZUK and OnePlus. OS of these devices will no longer receive updates. Apparently, their manufacturers will have to start to install on their Android devices, complemented Modular OS.

Prerequisites to change the strategy

About the possible loss of Cyanogen OS first began in July 2016, when Cyanogen announced that it plans to cut 20% of staff, or about 30 workers. It was dismissed as just those employees who are engaged in the development of Cyanogen OS. Announcing the reduction, the Director General suggested that the company will develop applications instead of advancing and refining the “Android alternative”.

the New strategy should remedy the situation Cyanogen, which recently struck a few blows. For example, in August 2016 in the media appeared information that the company resorted to deception, inflating in the official report the number of users of its OS. In 2015, the CEO of Cyanogen said that the firmware uses 50 million people, but according to the internal report to the Board of Directors in 2016, the number of users amounted to only 25 million.