Ever since the webOS-powered HP TouchPad started reaching out for headline space with much info trickling in, the tablet arena has been waiting impatiently to see the device in action. Though not foreseen, the TouchPad saw itself being scooped up by enthusiastic minds (watch the video after the jump) at one most unlikely place – at the SanDisk booth – at the Computex venue in Taipei.

Now, if you are one of those HP cheerleaders who have been waiting to get hold of the webOS device, here’s something that might interest you big time.

Apart from rolling out the HP TouchPad sometime later this month, the company is also planning something big with the webOS platform.

If CEO Leo Apotheker stays true to his word, we might get to see webOS foray into smartphones and tablets that are assembled at other makers’ labs too.

The company is all set to license webOS to other manufacturers’ devices too in the near future. Now, that sounds like we have a new better choice of operating platform to tread on.

A quick stroll down memory lane will remind you that HP had acquired WebOS when they pocketed Palm for $1.2 billion in April 2010. Ever since, the operating system was seen only in a handful of devices. Among them, the Palm Pre and Pixi smartphones had proved to take off as expected.

It may also be recalled that following that announcement sometime ago, we saw the first smartphones and tablets that use HP’s new webOS getting into the works at the company’s assembly line. The company is attempting to roll out the license and the plan is crystal clear.

Apotheker, when asked about this initiative at the recent D9 conference; revealed that the outstanding operating system should be made available to enterprises and to small and medium sizes businesses (SMBs). Apart from running on a plethora of HP devices that are to come, the OS will see itself donning the driver’s mantle in other gadgets too. We like that.

The CEO’s intention to push webOS go beyond HP devices is something that need to be seen as immensely encouraging. We get to hear that HP would definitely entertain licensing webOS to other manufacturers – for instance HTC and many others.

Don’t you think webOS has a future – and a great one too? That’s exactly what we term expanded innovation. webOS beyond borders is happening, for sure. What do you feel?