As Sesame Street is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary now seems like as good a time as any for us to practice our counting…of mobile operating systems/platforms. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Darn, my hand ran out of fingers! Well, no matter, Samsung thinks there is plenty of room for more and has taken the wraps off its own, new open mobile platform, bada.

Yup, another mobile OS is hitting the streets come December, and its name is bada (which means ‘ocean’ in Korean). In case you were wondering, the name was:

chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applications which can be created using the new platform. It also alludes to Samsung’s commitment to a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry.

But enough about its meaning…what is it? Well, according to the official announcement, bada will offer developers an easier way to create applications for “millions of new Samsung” phones while providing consumers with “a fun and diverse mobile experience.” Samsung says the new platform will be simple for developers to use, “particularly in the area of applications using Web services,” and will allow said developers to include more sophisticated and attractive UI” designs for their apps.

The platform is also being touted as carrier-friendly, by providing for “an easy-to-integrate platform…so that mobile operators can provide unique and differentiated services to their customers.” According to Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics, “bada will be Samsung’s landmark, iconic new platform that brings an unprecedented opportunity for operators, developers and Samsung mobile phone users around the world.”

The official website went live earlier today. Samsung will also be hosting an official launch event in London sometime next month where it will also take the wraps off its bada SDK.