In case you haven’t been paying attention, the tech industry is abuzz over Google’s plans to strike a blow to Microsoft’s core business and change the operating system paradigm by offering web-centric OS on ultra mobile PCs and netbooks at some point in the near future. But Google is not going to be the only game in town in the web-centric OS market. Microsoft may be too stubborn to realize the flaws within its current business model, but there are smaller companies that are planning to join the Web OS movement.

Jolicloud is yet another Web OS that is designed for netbooks and gives users a more Mac-like experience. The software is based on Ubuntu Linux, so it’s not too tough to figure out why the interface will be much more familiar than that of Google Chrome. It will also provide better support for video and web on netbooks. What makes Jolicloud different is the fact that you can store your information locally as well. So you won’t have to worry about these web companies spying on everything you work on your computers.

Jolicloud is the first Linux distribution that provides complete support for Intel’s GMA500 graphics chipset. The developers also intend to make it easy for Windows users to use the software in dual boot mode. So you won’t have to get rid of your Windows anytime soon. So on the paper, Jolicloud will make a decent rival to Google Chrome. Of course, we shouldn’t forget that Google Chrome OS will improve and get much better before release time. Google won’t be afraid to use its funds to set itself apart from its competitors in the Web OS market. So the odds may be stacked against any company going against Google. Nevertheless, it’s nice to have options.