As some readers might recall, Samsung made a surprise announcement at SDC 21 last year when it revealed that it is opening its smart TV platform to other manufacturers through the Tizen TV Platform Licensing service. The program has now started bearing fruit, as the company has just signed an agreement with three smart TV manufacturers interested in adopting Tizen OS for their new TV models.
The three TV companies that will be using Samsung's Tizen OS are Akai, Bauhn, and Linsar. The companies are expected to release their Tizen OS smart TVs in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Akai will offer its Tizen OS TV through Harvey Norman, whereas Linsar's Tizen OS TVs will be available through The Good Guys. Meanwhile, Bauhn will release its first Tizen OS smart TV — a 65-inch model priced at AUD 699 / $454 — in Aldi stores in multiple countries. (via ChannelNews)
Other TV brands now have Samsung's recipe for success
Samsung has had exclusivity over its in-house Tizen OS TV platform since its inception in 2015. Tizen OS was, without a doubt, one of the main ingredients to Samsung's success in the smart TV market, which makes the Tizen TV Platform Licensing service that much more intriguing.
By launching its licensing program, Samsung allowed potential rivals to fight back. Then again, Samsung will earn royalties from these collaborations, so as far as the Tizen platform is concerned, this is a win-win situation. Not to mention, Samsung has some of the best hardware on its side and an unrivaled retail network to boot.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if other smart TV manufacturers with access to Tizen OS will have the ability to capitalize on the platform's advantages the same way Samsung did. Tizen OS could be the key to increasing their market shares, although the more OEMs adopt Tizen, the more level the playing field will be.
