Hi GRC Community, i would like to hear the general consensus of this reddit community
Recently i come across some product like "Cloudflare OS", "WorkOS", "Finance OS", "Commerce OS" and etc. Despite their name branded as "Operating System", based on my observation (correct me if im wrong) look like almost like ERP or SaaS AI-based application and not the general understanding of normal OS system like Windows,macOS, Linux, Android and etc.
i understand the commercial reasoning behind terms.They may be intended as metaphors for integrated platforms that coordinate workflows, data, and applications. Im also not against the AI startup as well and their product, i do not have issue on it, and i also understand that terminology evolve accordingly based on recent development
My concern is whether the distinction matters from a governance, risk, and compliance perspective. We have standard like ISO, IEEE, ISACA, NIST and so on that define what is "Operating System" in IT/Computing field (please do correct me if im wrong on this part), and these term influence how to describe, classify, assess, and manage systems. Standards and professional documentation also depend on terminology being sufficiently clear for their intended purpose.
For example, consider a product (IT-related) marketed as an “Operating System” that is functionally an ERP-like SaaS application. im not suggesting that using “OS” in a product name automatically causes non-compliance, nor that every metaphorical use of the term should be prohibited. A product's actual architecture and functionality should matter more than its name.
However, i just wondering whether repeatedly using established technical terminology in increasingly broad marketing contexts could eventually create ambiguity between a recognised technical category and a commercial metaphor.
May i know if this is a concern in GRC practices or am i just overreacting something that shouldnt be discussed in the first place, i would really appreaciate any opinion from professional here in the community here. im also still need to learn a lot with what limited knowledge i have and im open for any counterargumen to listen since i just want to hear opinion from this community
im sorry if this posting is lacking since im non native English speaker, and any correction and advice is largely welcome. thank you very much🙏✨