The household appliance and mobile industries are making a concerted effort to expand the ecosystem for the next-gen web standard, Hypertext Markup Language 5 (HTML5), and to contribute to creating the HTML5 standard.
Samsung and LG Electronics emphasized that HTML5 has already been embraced by mobile and TV platforms, suggesting that developers participate in the ecosystem for HTML5.
Samsung has been stressing its active support for HTML5 through the Tizen operating system (OS), which can encompass Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS in the mobile platform market. The Tizen OS, which started with the new Tizen-based Galaxy Gear 2, is expected to expand to smart TVs within the year.
“The Tizen Association thinks very positively about a partnership with web-based platforms such as Firefox OS,” said, Song Hyo-jung, Executive Director of Samsung Electronics, in the “HTML5 and Web Application” session.
LG, on the other hand, unveiled webOS-based smart TVs at CES 2014 in January. The strength of webOS-based smart TVs lies in their ability to run different web browsers just like mobile devices.
Lee Dong-young, Chief Engineer of LG Electronics, remarked, “Smart TVs are increasingly adopting web-based platforms, and there will be a lot of new opportunities, including new multi-screens, or web-based video services.”
In the meantime, the function of HTML5, and the limited supply of a hardware API were cited as issues that HTML5 needs to address most urgently. It was also pointed out that it takes a longer time to develop mobile apps using HTML5 owing to the fragmented market environment of major web browsers.
At the event, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning revealed its plan to create an “HTML5 Converged Technology Forum,” and to lead the effort to increase investment in research and development in numerous fields in which HTML5 can be utilized and to implement more pioneering projects.
The Forum is going to promote HTML5-based converged industries and to support the government’s policies aimed at improving the local Internet environment and eliminating barriers to e-commerce and inconvenience that users experience, caused by the widespread use of outdated technology such as ActiveX.