Japan, China and South Korea plan to develop an original operating system in a bid to challenge the domination of Microsoft Corp."s Windows, news reports said. Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma is to propose the plan when he meets his Chinese and South Korean counterparts in Phnom Penh on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN trade ministers" meeting, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Asahi Shimbun said Sunday, quoting sources.
The three countries are expected to reach an accord in mid-September, when senior trade ministry officials are to hold another meeting, Asahi said, and to establish a joint private-. The accord would be the first signed by major economies, the two dailies said. Under the expected tie-up, the partners are expected to improve open-source operating system, like Linux. The three countries are to set up a joint private-sector promotion committee in mid-November, to include Japanese businesses such as NTT Data Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., NEC Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Fujitsu Ltd.