Google said its
new Android mobile operating system that is expected to be launched in October will be called 'KitKat'. The tech giant, which is known for nick-naming its Android mobile operating systems for smartphones and tablets after desserts, has for the first time chosen a brand-name candy for its 4.4 version.
The new version shares a name with the chocolate candy bar with the well-known "Gimme a Break" jingle. KitKat packaging will show Android's green robot mascot breaking a KitKat bar.
Google approached Hershey, about six to nine months ago for permission to use the name, said Jennifer Podhajsky, vice-president of US chocolate at Hershey, which licenses the KitKat brand in the US, while Nestle owns the worldwide brand.
The Financial terms weren't disclosed for the sweet deal between Google and Hershey Co.
The Kit Kat name was unexpected since tech pundits have speculated for months that the next operating system would be called Key Lime Pie. Marc Vanlerberghe, director of Android Marketing, said the name was chosen because Kit Kat bars have been a "favorite go-to snack among the team since the early days of Android."
The Android software is now running on more than 750 million smartphones and tablets throughout the world, making it the world's most widely used mobile operating system.
With AP inputsFor Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine
The new Kit Kat label for The Hershey Company featuring Android's green robot mascot breaking a KitKat. Google is naming its new Android operating system after the chocolate bar. <em>Photo: AP /The Hershey Company)</em> 
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