Foxconn has become one of the world’s biggest tech suppliers thanks to its close relationship with Apple assembling iPhones and iPads, but the Chinese company is looking to hedge its bets by investing in the competing Cyanogen operating system.
The exact amount Foxconn invested in the Cyanogen platform hasn’t been disclosed, however, the company announced in March that it had raised $80 million in funding from a group that included Twitter, Qualcomm, Telefónica Ventures and Foxconn..
Cyanogen riffs off Android to create a more open platform for developers. Funds raised from its investors will go toward building the Cyanogen OS by accelerating talent hiring. Over $110 million has been raised by Cyanogen, which plans to offer direct-to-consumer Android ROMs that side-step the mainstream versions of Android.
“We’re evolving Android and creating an open computing platform that will change the way consumers interact with their mobile devices,” Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster told the Register. “Foxconn and our diverse group of strategic investors and partners reflect the mobile value chain, from device manufacturers and mobile network operators to chipset makers and 3rd-party developers. They see the great potential of what we’re doing in creating the next major paradigm shift in mobile computing.”
Even though the entire Cyanogen OS is based on Android, the company insists its an entirely new operating system that creates a more level playing field for developers by integrating experiences seamlessly into the OS.
Source: The Register
