Experts say Syderos boosts security but industry still needs govt support

Internet specialists are praising a Chinese-made smartphone operating system and are urging more enterprises to expand their development capability to promote the mobile industry and ensure State security.

The Syder OS smartphone operating system, made by Beijing Yuan Xin Technology, caught the public's attention when it was shown onstage at China Cybersecurity Week, which ends on Sunday.

It is the first smartphone operating system made, designed and developed in China, Zhao Chunlei, manager of the company's technical research and development division, said on Friday.

More than 200 technologists worked for two and a half years to develop the system. And "its security section, which is its core technology, was also made by ourselves", Zhao said.

China's Internet users numbered 632 million at the end of June, and the number of mobile Internet users reached 527 million.

As ever more people surf the Internet with mobile devices, "making our own operating system and making it safe have become important and urgent," he said.

The operating system is intended not only to challenge overseas competition, "but also to ensure our nation's security", Zhao said.

China has greatly developed its cybersecurity strategy since United States intelligence contractor Edward Snowden's disclosures on US Internet spying, Zhao said, adding that his team made security a priority in the development.

Now that the system has been developed, "how to promote it, and attract more users and technical researchers are still challenges for us", he said.

Wang Bing, a mobile network specialist at a security company, agreed that focusing on security is a must as Chinese develop their own operating systems, and he said the domestic industry still requires more government support.

"A self-developed operating system doesn't automatically equal national cybersecurity, but if we do not have such services and products, our country's security will certainly be affected," said Wang, an assistant manager at State-owned Westone Information Industry.

The Syderos operating system can make online purchases safer, which is also a top concern among users, he said.

Regarding the promotion of the system, he advised: "Government policies and support are needed, because only if more people use our own smartphone operating system will problems that demand attention be resolved in a timely manner."

Ni Guangnan, of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that the domestically developed and controlled smartphone operating system can improve defense capability as cybersecurity risks emerge, and that is useful to some key government departments.

But he added that this is only the beginning and that security gaps still remain in some advanced and well-developed mobile phone operating systems, including Android and iOS.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn