When HP announced that it would open-source the webOS platform late last year, included in that promise was the confirmation that the Enyo development framework would also be opened up for anyone to use in either webOS or even other projects entirely, as the framework allows for the development of complete user interfaces using nothing more than JavaScript tools and stands in contrast to typical mobile development that was previously reliant on third-party user-interface libraries.
Now, a new report filed by The Verge claims that the team behind the framework will leave HP after being picked up by Google in recent weeks, though nothing is specifically known regarding the team’s immediate plans once the transition is said to be complete.
This puts the continuation of development on the framework in some doubt, as Google has shown a heavy reliance on Java and its derivatives for ChromeOS, the Chrome browser and Android, though recent litigation involving Android and Java may have made the search giant wary of continuing down that path and begin a search for alternatives that were largely unencumbered by patents and trademarks.
As Enyo began life within Palm as the development platform for webOS, primarily as the user interface framework for the operating system, it may be that Google is looking for a more robust user interface platform to integrate into all of its current and future products for better cross-platform support compared to the heavily customized Java-based development stack it currently employs. The most recent release of the Enyo platform occurred in April and involved updates to the core framework as well as companion libraries.
HP has released an indirect statement to Ars Technica regarding the report:
“We’re pleased with the traction Enyo has gained to date and plan to continue its development along with the open source community. The Open webOS project is on schedule and we remain committed to the roadmap announced in January.”
The next major releases of Open webOS components is still expected in July according to the current timeline set by HP earlier this year with the goal of releasing Open webOS completely in September. The report of the team leaving also comes shortly after the conglomerate reported job cuts of 27,000 workers after reporting a better than expected 1st quarter and looks to recover from the near tailspin that began with Mark Hurd and ended with disgraced former CEO Leo Apotheker being forced out of the company last year with a major restructuring currently underway and being spearheaded by former ebay CEO Meg Whitman.
