The readiness of mobile operating systems for cloud computing services

Abstract

$5.2 billion is forecasted as the market size of cloud computing services (CCS) on mobile devices such as Smartphones and Tablets. Mobile cloud computing services (MCCS) has incited an innovative surge of advancement in the fast emerging pervasive computing. Although a number of studies have been carried out in the area of mobile technology, the subject of the readiness of the mobile operating systems, such as Android, IOS and Windows Mobile in MCCS is immensely being unexplored. Challenges and architecture for a suitable MCCS have been defined in this paper. It goes to develop criteria to measure the various Mobile Operating System (MOS) offerings to identify the additional features that should be implemented on MOS to enable and/or enhance that efficient MCCS. This paper also analyses the readiness of MOS to meet the challenges of offering these MCCSs. An in-depth study of the current requirements and challenges are identified, hence criteria is formed that is used to compare these current Smartphone MOS. This paper concludes that mobile virtualisation and security needs to be explored by MOS providers in order to enhance license IP separation, portability, reliability, security, and the consolidation of hardware amongst Smartphones, mobile network operators and MCCS providers. This will aid widening the scope for defining Smartphones as the CCS platform.