The next entrant into the world of embedded operating systems could emerge as none other than Google, according to multiple reports ahead of its annual developer conference next week. In the likelihood that the rumors prove true, that would represent a radical evolution of its current mobile strategy, if not a particularly surprising one.

The dominance of Android in the smartphone and tablet segments makes for a perfect launchpad into the broader connected universe, an opportunity so massive that it would be surprising if the search giant didn’t make a move, especially now that the competition is going down the same route. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. introduced its own embedded platform only a few days ago, following a similar launch from Canonical Ltd. earlier this year.

Brillo, as Google’s new project is currently referred to, appears more similar to the latter in the sense that the differentiation will come mainly from interoperability with existing devices. That is, the search giant will offer an easy way to interface with Android devices, a strong reason for manufacturers to choose its platform over less-established alternatives.

But of course, that is not to say the road to dominance is already paved for Brillo. Far from it, Google will have to fend off not only emerging players such as Canonical and Huawei but also ARM Holdings plc, which boasts an even bigger advantage than Android in the form of almost complete control over the embedded processor market, with its architecture powering the bulk of the connected universe.

That’s a far cry from the handful of widely-used gizmos that the search giant obtained through its acquisition of Nest Labs Inc. last year that the British chip designer is trying to exploit with an operating system called mbed unveiled a few months after the deal went through. The ability to have a single platform across every ARM-based device makes for a potentially an even more compelling value proposition than what Google is likely to offer with Brillo.

But it’s impossible to determine exactly how the project will shape up against the competition until the official launch, which is expected to take place during its big event next week. Nest is reportedly deeply involved in the development of Brillo, which makes it more than likely that the division will take the opportunity to showcase the first integrations to attendees of the conference as a way to spur interest in the development community.
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