Google may be the next big company to take on the internet of things, giving it an entry into the world of connected everyday objects. According to The Information, Google has developed software that can run on low-power devices and give them the ability to communicate with other connected devices nearby. Internally, the software is reportedly being called "Brillo," but it may debut under an Android name next week, at Google's I/O conference. The Information reports that the software could be used on everything from major home appliances like refrigerators to smaller tech like garden monitors.

It could debut with an Android name

It's unclear exactly what this software might look like when it debuts. The Information reports that it could be barebones at first, rather than being a complete operating system with apps and services. It's reported to be designed for devices that have as little as 32MBs or 64MBs of RAM. That makes sense: the devices this software would be running on will be simple, often without much power. They need a very basic OS that won't use up much power or require significant investments in hardware.

In general, it's not clear what an internet of things operating system will look like, though a lot of companies are diving into them. Microsoft is releasing a version of Windows 10 called Windows 10 IoT Core that's meant to run on ATMs, ultrasound machines, and wearables. Huawei just yesterday announced an OS that's 10 kilobytes in size and meant to connect IoT gadgets. Samsung recently announced a series of chips designed for IoT devices as well. That all means that, while the internet of things is still very nebulous today, the biggest tech companies are racing toward it. And for good reason: connecting everyday objects is going to be big — and everyone wants to get to it first.