Google has a new operating system for the Internet of Things

It’s only natural that Google be interested in the Internet of Things, but the company still hasn’t really entered the market. You would think that with all the variations of Android that Google has, it would’ve released one for the IoT as well. However, it looks like Android is a bit too intensive for the low-power devices that make up most of the IoT, which is why the company is reportedly working on a new operating system known as Brillo. 

It’s not terribly surprising that Google wants to connect everything to the web. After all, more web usage, particularly with Google search and apps, leads to more information for the company. And that in turn leads to more potential revenue through targeted advertisements. What may be more surprising is a new Google platform specifically for the Internet of Things (IoT): The Information reported that Google is working on software called Brillo for that very reason. I would have thought Android, or at least parts of it, could be the underlying IoT platform. Perhaps Android is too “heavy”, however. By that I mean the software has relatively hefty hardware requirements compared to a smart light switch, garage door opener, doorbell, or smart electricity meter. Brillo could run on devices with as little as 32 to 64 MB of memory while phones minimally have ten times or more memory.