Mozilla has used Mobile World Congress, which kicked off today in Barcelona, as the platform to preview the first commercial build of its Firefox OS open mobile ecosystem and announced new operator rollout plans.
The first wave of Firefox OS devices will be available to consumers in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela, with additional markets to be announced soon.
To date, 17 key operators spanning the globe have committed to the open Web device initiative, including Etisalat and Qtel in the Middle East.
The breadth of operators now backing Mozilla’s Firefox OS demonstrates significant industry support for a fully-adaptable, unconstrained mobile platform, the company said.
Firefox OS smartphones are the first built entirely to open Web standards, enabling every feature to be developed as an HTML5 application.
Web apps access every underlying capability of the device, bypassing the typical hindrances of HTML5 on mobile to deliver substantial performance.
The platform’s flexibility allows carriers to easily tailor the interface and develop localised services that match the unique needs of their customer base.
Mozilla is working with manufacturers Alcatel (TCL), LG and ZTE to build the first Firefox OS devices, with Huawei to follow later in the year, all powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors. In addition, Mozilla has signed strategic relationships with key content and service partners.
“Firefox OS brings the freedom and unbounded innovation of the open Web to mobile users everywhere,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla. “With the support of our vibrant community and dedicated partners, our goal is to level the playing field and usher in an explosion of content and services that will meet the diverse needs of the next two billion people online.”
Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO, Etisalat Group, said: “We are happy to be part of this innovation and to support Mozilla in the launch of this new operating system. Firefox OS smartphones will make a valuable addition to our portfolio and grant our customers a rich and personalised experience. We welcome this development and congratulate Mozilla on their progress.”
Mozilla also unveiled its new Firefox OS consumer identity and brand marketing campaign at Mobile World Congress. According to the company, the new branding “unleashes the Fox” to illustrate the fun, friendly, supportive, protective, fast and powerful qualities of Firefox OS.