The home needs an operating system (and an app store)

Abstract-- We argue that heterogeneity is hindering technological innovation in the home--homes differ in terms of their devices and how those devices are connected and used. To abstract these differences, we propose to develop a homewide operating system. A HomeOS can simplify application development and let users easily add functionality by installing new devices or applications. The development of such an OS is an inherently inter-disciplinary exercise. Not only must the abstractions meet the usual goals of being efficient and easy to program, but the underlying primitives must also match how users want to manage and secure their home. We describe the preliminary design of HomeOS and our experience with developing applications for it. Categories and Subject Descriptors C.2.4 [Distributed systems] Network operating systems D.4.6 [Security and protection] Access controls

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: HOTNETS
• Authors: Colin Dixon, Ratul Mahajan, Sharad Agarwal, A. J. Brush, Bongshin Lee, Stefan Saroiu, Victor Bahl
• Keywords: Computer Networks, HOTNETS 2010, Network Operating Systems, Operating Systems, Technological Innovation