Russia wants to develop its own non-American mobile operating system

Russia wants to create its own smartphone operating system in an effort to reduce its dependence on Western technology. Russian minister of communications Nikolai Nikiforo announced plans to replace Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms with new software based on Sailfish, an open-source mobile operating system, developed by Finland phone maker Jolla. Jolla staff met with members of the Russian technology community earlier this month to break ground on the new software. Nikiforo said he wants the country to reduce its dependence on foreign technology over the next ten years to 50 percent of the country’s market share, down from 95 percent today, according to Russian daily newspaper RBC. It comes at a time where Russia is pushing for industry independence away from Western technology, in part because it’s facing increasing sanctions over its 2014 annexation of Crimea.