Google confirms mobile phone open platform effort

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 11/5/2007

Clarifying weeks of rumors to rival the buzz surrounding Apple’s iPhone, Google Inc., along with dozens of mobile technology and wireless industry players today unveiled “Android,” what is being touted as the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices, and is meant to allow easier collaboration and accelerated mobile services development.

Google joined forces with T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others on the development of Android through the Open Handset Alliance (logo to left), which was formed to encourage innovation on mobile devices for better user experiences.

Given that there are nearly 3 billion users worldwide, Google reminded that the mobile phone has become the most personal and ubiquitous communications device but that the lack of a collaborative effort has made it a challenge for developers, wireless operators and handset manufacturers to respond as quickly as possible to the ever-changing needs of mobile consumers.

Enter Android. With this platform, the companies say developers, wireless operators and handset manufacturers will be better positioned to bring innovative new products to market faster, at a lower cost, with the end result being a mobile platform that will allow wireless operators and manufacturers to give their customers better, more personal and more flexible mobile experiences.

Thirty four companies formed the Open Handset Alliance, formed to develop technologies to lower the cost of developing and distributing mobile devices and services, with the Android platform the first step in this direction.

Android consists of a fully integrated mobile software stack containing an operating system, middleware, user interface and applications.

The Android platform will be made available under an open-source license. Next week the Open Handset Alliance will release an early access software development kit. Google expects the first phones based on Android to be available in the second half of 2008.

Touting that Android holds the promise of unprecedented benefits for consumers, developers and manufacturers of mobile services and devices, Google explained that handset manufacturers and wireless operators will be able to customize Android and developers will have access to handset capabilities and tools in order to build compelling and user-friendly services, bringing the Internet developer model to the mobile space.

And consumers worldwide will have access to less expensive mobile devices that feature more compelling services, rich Internet applications and easier-to-use interfaces -- ultimately creating a superior mobile experience.

Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt said the partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world. “A fresh approach to fostering innovation in the mobile industry will help shape a new computing environment that will change the way people access and share information in the future. Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models,” he said in a statement.

Intel’s Gary Willihnganz, director of marketing for the company’s ultra mobile group noted, “Intel joined the Open Handset Alliance to create opportunities to innovate in the mobile market segment. The Android platform can enhance Intel's new low-power products that will enable an emerging class of mobile Internet devices that bring to life the full Internet experience on products that are small enough to fit in your pocket, and meet the uncompromising performance needs of users on the go.”

Founding members of the Open Handset Alliance are Aplix, Ascender Corp., Audience, Broadcom, China Mobile, eBay, Esmertec, Google, HTC, Intel, KDDI, LivingImage, LG, Marvell, Motorola, NMS Communications, Noser, NTT DoCoMo, Nuance, Nvidia, PacketVideo, Qualcomm, Samsung, SiRF, SkyPop, SONiVOX, Sprint Nextel, Synaptics, TAT - The Astonishing Tribe, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Texas Instruments, T-Mobile, Wind River.

Rick Sizemore, chief strategy and business development officer at market research firm MultiMedia Intelligence, believes today's news foretells of a trend.

“The approach seems as appropriate for Google as the iPhone is to Apple.  Apple is, at its very core, a company that provides elegant hardware solutions enhanced with innovative software.  As you may recall, efforts to provide the Apple OS to third parties, enabling "clone Macs" were scuttled when Jobs took the helm again.  Google, however, is a software company that has dominated the Internet.  Google is among the premier advertising aggregators.  Providing a software OS or handset client to enable optimal Internet based applications and digital advertising is in their core competency,” Sizemore said in a statement today.

The Google strategy seems to lead to the advent of an open-source competitor to Windows Mobile, he continues. “This is a development that will make the environment for Windows Mobile much more challenging. Although Microsoft has agreements with almost 50 handset vendors, it's software still will only power 10 to 15 million phones that will be shipped this year,” he added.