Xcerion to Compete in Web OS Space

In the third quarter of 2007, a project five years in the making is set to launch. Xcerion, a small Swedish company, has plans to release a free XML-based OS (XIOS) that will run inside a browser. XIOS has an extremely small footprint, with an initial 2 MB download to install. Running in a sandbox, it should be virtually immune to most of the malware created for current operating systems. Such a system would eliminate current OS hardware and software lock-in, provide the ultimate level of portability, and allow for the most open form of collaboration possible.

Because XIOS is based on XML, the front end OS should be able to interface with back-end apps built on any platform, including Java and .NET apps. And with it's small size, you can work on things offline by using a portable drive with a browser and XIOS, moving from computer to computer and still be able to work on your files. Files could be stored locally, on servers, or on the Xcerion cloud.

Xcerion has created an easy-to-use IDE to facilitate development of productivity apps, but adds an additional incentive for developers: their back-end system will route revenue from the Xcerion revenue stream (either subscriptions services or paid ads) back to the developers.

XIOS has been designed with add-ons in mind, and its creators believe that many applications, such as an IM client, could be created quickly using the existing code-base. They do allow that XIOS has limitations, however, in that it can't handle advanced gaming graphics, and wouldn't be able to scale for mobile devices in its current form.

Xcerion has received $10 million in VC funding, but has yet to disclose any buy-in from large corporations. Plans for a closed beta include invitations to be sent to those signing up on the Xcerion web site sometime within the next two months.

XIOS sounds almost too good to be true, and if it does succeed, will change everything we are familiar with in terms of personal computing. Its initial launch will work in Firefox and Internet Explorer only, with functionality in Safari and Opera to be added later. The developers are also in talks with the Firefox developers to possibly contribute code, making the interoperability between Firefox and XIOS even more seamless in the future. The concept sounds so amazing I can't really wrap my head around it. I'm planning to request a beta invite just to see it in action.

Source: Information Week