SymphonyOS began as an experiment both in new user interface ideas and the merging of web technologies and the desktop. Over the five years since the SymphonyOS project made it's first public release many of the ideas we put forth have found their way into major desktop environments of all kinds. Now it is time for Symphony to take the next step and again tread where the bleeding edge of technology now allows us to venture. In looking forward we see the internet becoming the operating platform of the next decade. The differences between Desktop operating systems are dropping away as interoperability and shared services break down the barriers between platforms once and for all. Our desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones have become little more than a window to the online world where we create share and communicate.

Symphony Strata pre-alpha running Firefox.. still a lot of work to do

Symphony Strata is our grand new experiment in taking the next step in moving toward this future. Strata will be a distributed desktop computing platform where the desktop is little more than a place to organize all of the tools, content and contacts we use everyday. Strata uses the latest HTML5 technologies to bring a unified environment to all your devices. Your Symphony Strata desktop will provide a single flexible interface to your desktop, laptop, tablet and even your mobile phone. Your files are always in reach whether you are at home, at work or even at a public Internet terminal. We have re-thought the way we interact with our devices and the Internet and using the wonders of HTML5, javascript, and many other technologies to create the ultimate personal computing space.

Applications

Symphony Strata will not only be able to run web applications developed for it's platform but it is also able to bring many Linux and eventually Windows Desktop applications right to your device. These applications are provided remotely using the Strata Application Container. An Application container exists on a server anywhere in the world and through the use of the Remote Framebuffer protocol and a server-side Java based translator these apps are seamlessly brought to your Strata desktop. The Application container also connects these remote apps to your files allowing you to, for example, download a document while at the office, edit it on your mobile phone while riding the train home, Log into your home computer and continue your editing seamlessly.

Contacts

Some of our most valuable information is the contact information we collect from our friends, co-workers and family. Strata aggregates contact information from your email address book, facebook account, and other locations into a single contact view, updating information in all places when you update it once. The built in instant messaging app will allow you to communicate from your Strata Desktop via AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook, SMS and MMS.

Sharing

The Internet is all about sharing, and we feel this shouldn't be a function added to your operating environment as an afterthought or addon. In Strata you will easily share any document, video, picture, audio file and more simply by clicking on it and selecting "Share This". You can also share your files through our instant messaging app, via email or in any method you could share a regular link. Video and audio files are presented to those you share them with complete with web-based players allowing instant viewing or listening. You will also be able to instantly share files on facebook, flickr and many other services. Documents such as those created with Microsoft Office can be shared just as easily and can be viewed by any user with a modern web browser without the need for plugins or expensive applications.