Although downloading applications and games directly to our mobile devices has become par for the course for most smartphone users, that might change sometime relatively soon. According to a new report from The Information, Google last year secretly acquired a startup called Agawi, which has previously created certain technologies that would allow users to stream mobile apps and games from the cloud to mobile devices.

Agawi, which stands for “any game, anywhere, instantly”, actually had partnerships with a number of companies before the acquisition. While the acquisition has not been previously reported, TechCrunch explains that Agawi has not only ceased as a live business, but also three former employees of the startup are now listed as working at Google on their respective LinkedIn pages.

This could be Google's big push away from native apps

So why did Google acquire this company? The report states that this could be the search giant’s first big step in moving users away from downloading apps natively and bringing them back to using the web for most entertainment purposes, which is where Google makes its money. Not only that, but Google could also use these new technologies to implement a “try before you buy” system with apps, allowing folks to test applications from the cloud before downloading them to their mobile devices. If this system is put in place, it would help developers make more money and help users’ phones run much smoother, which would both make Google happy in the long run. Details are pretty scarce regarding the rumored acquisition at the moment, though it absolutely makes sense as to why the company would invest in such technologies.

We might have to wait some time before we see Agawi’s tech roll out to devices, and these rumors might not even prove true. Even so, it’s still an interesting concept that’s worth some speculation.