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Internet search leader Google today announced its mobile device platform, called Android, and an ambitious  multinational initiative called the Open Handset Alliance, which together represent the company's serious and long awaited entrance into the mobile device market. Google expects mobile phones based on the new platform to be available by the second half of 2008. Sizable Alliance Announced The new Google mobile operating system Android will aim to allow cell phones to use the numerous online applications the Mountain View, California-based company has developed over the past several years, and the Open Handset Alliance that is responsible for developing and promoting Android includes 34 large mobile operators, device manufacturers, and companies that make software and semiconductors, including Sprint Nextel Corp., Samsung Electronics, NTT DoCoMo, and Motorola Inc. Other partners in the broad reaching alliance with Google include:  | Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile USA | | Intel Corporation | | | Qualcomm Inc. | | SkyPop | | | Broadcom Corporation | | PacketVideo (PV) | | | Telefónica | | Audience | | | Nvidia Corporation | | Nuance Communications Inc. | | | LG Electronics | | LivingImage LTD. | | | HTC Corporation | | Esmertec | | | China Mobile Communications Corporation | | eBay Inc. | | | Texas Instruments | | Ascender Corporation | | | Synaptics Inc. | | KDDI Corporation | | | SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. | | Telecom Italia | | | Wind River | | NMS Communications | | | TAT - The Astonishing Tribe AB | | Aplix Corporation | | | Marvell Semiconductor Inc. | | Noser Engineering Inc. | Explaining the Platform Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Telekom René Obermann, parent company of T-Mobile, expressed his  company's support for the partnership with Google in the Open Handset Alliance. "As a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance, T-Mobile is committed to innovation and fostering an open platform for wireless services to meet the rapidly evolving and emerging needs of wireless customers," said Obermann. He also spoke of his company's plans to use the Android platform. "We see the Android platform as an exciting opportunity to launch robust wireless Internet and Web 2.0 services for T-Mobile customers in the US and Europe in 2008," Obermann said. Google's Director of Mobile Platforms Andy Rubin, made it clear that today's announcement is not about one single new cell phone, such as a "Gphone" made by the company to compete with Apple's iPhone, but rather about creating the building blocks for many new cell phones to make "an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today," which is "more significant and ambitious than a single phone," Rubin wrote on the official Google blog. Based on Linux and Java Google claims that Android is the first fully open complete mobile device platform, which includes a mobile user interface and applications together with the core operating system - called a "software stack", which is based on Linus Torvalds' Linux OS and Sun Microsystems' Java programming language. Android aims to overcome what Google sees as the "proprietary obstacles" that are preventing innovation in the mobile device industry, such as cell phones which are locked into using only the  specific applications a particular mobile provider offers. Google has developed Android with the cooperation of the companies in its Open Handset Alliance in order to create an open mobile software system. "We hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform," said Rubin, who also sees the coalition serving to drive innovation within a mostly closed and proprietary mobile device industry. Rubin said, "The result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities." Further Mobile Goals Remain Google also made it clear that Android and the Open Handset Alliance do not represent the company's only mobile services initiatives. "Android will complement, but not replace, our longstanding mobile strategy of developing useful and compelling mobile services and driving adoption of these products through partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world," said Rubin. Google will reveal its Android Software Development Kit (SDK) on November 12, which will allow developers to begin programming applications based on the new mobile device operating system. The mobile phone is seen by Google as a largely untapped community of over 3 billion people worldwide, who have yet to reach the potential the technology offers, and through its Open Handset Alliance the company aims to: "Give mobile operators, handset manufacturers, and developers everything they need to build innovative devices, software and services," according to the Open Handset Alliance Web site. By comparison, there are roughly half as many television sets worldwide, and one third as many people using the Internet, according to Google. The Mobile Ecosystem Google has begun referring to the mobile services industry as a "mobile ecosystem", and it appears to be trying to open up the current mobile world in much the same way that various open source initiatives have done in the computer industry, with the most notable example being the very Linux operating system Android is built around. Google envisions products using the new Android platform becoming available next year sometime after June. "We are committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android Platform in the second half of 2008," the company noted. Android is Google's "shared vision for the future," the company said, and the Open Handset Alliance represents the company's "concrete plans to make the vision a reality." Google hopes that its new platform and partnerships will combine to lower the costs consumers face when using mobile services. Looking at Mobile with Fresh Eyes Along with touting the open nature of Google's vision for the mobile ecosystem, a video campaign featuring children speaking about what they would want in a "magic phone" was also a part of today's announcement. One young boy in a video available on the Open Handset Alliance Web site envisions a cell phone that would be "super-duper fast," while a young girl wishes for one that would "make cupcakes with sprinkles." While the cell phone dreams of children may be far-fetched, at least for now, the campaign serves to highlight how Google appears to be looking at mobile services with fresh eyes. Unleashing Mobile Innovation Google claims that Android will give developers an easier way to collaborate on application design and that this will in turn serve to give consumers many new and innovative services for their mobile devices. The company also appears to see the needs of tech savvy consumers outpacing the ability of the current mobile marketplace, a trend it hopes Android and the Open Handset Alliance will put an end to through increased collaboration and its open development environment. Early reaction appears mostly positive at the WebmasterWorld discussion forums, a popular community of mostly advanced level webmasters and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) professionals. CEO Schmidt's Powerful Platform Google CEO Eric Schmidt sees the platform and alliance announced today as having a substantial impact on  billions of people around the world. "This 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," said Schmidt, who also noted the ambitious nature of the Open Handset Alliance. "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. Reaction Among Partners Several members of the Open Handset Alliance commented on the partnership with Google, including HTC, whose CEO Peter Chou noted that the programs announced today will expand his company's reach in mobile services. "HTC's trademark on the mobile industry has been its ability to drive cutting-edge innovation into a wide variety of mobile devices to create the perfect match for individuals," Chou said. "Our participation in the Open Handset Alliance and integration of the Android platform in the second half of 2008 enables us to expand our device portfolio into a new category of connected mobile phones that will change the complexion of the mobile industry and re-create user expectations of the mobile phone experience," Chou went on to say. Wireless company Motorola plans to use Android in upcoming products as well, as company Chairman and CEO Ed Zander noted, "Motorola has long been an advocate of open software for mobile platforms. Today, we're excited to continue this support by joining Google and others in the announcement of the Open Handset Alliance and Android platform. Motorola plans to leverage the Android platform to enable seamless, connected services and rich consumer experiences in future Motorola products," said Zander. Google's Sweeping Open Handset Alliance and Android Platform Another wireless company partnering with Google in the Open Handset Alliance is Qualcomm. CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs noted the opportunities an open-standards-based system will allow. "The convergence of the wireless and Internet industries is creating new partnerships, evolving business models and driving innovation," Jacobs said. "We are extremely pleased to be participating in the Open Handset Alliance, whose mission is to help build the leading open-source application platform for 3G networks. The proliferation of open-standards-based handsets will provide an exciting new opportunity to create compelling services and devices. As a result, we are committing research and development resources to enable the Android platform and to create the best always-connected consumer experience on our chipsets," Jacobs concluded in today's announcement. Aims to Create a Superior Mobile Experience When Android becomes available to developers on November 12, it will be under what Google calls, "One of the most progressive, developer-friendly open-source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products." Having such free reign to customize applications may prove popular with developers and ultimately with consumers who may no longer have to be content using only those applications one particular mobile provider offers. Promising "complete access to handset capabilities," Google's Android platform may shake things up in the mobile services industry. Related Links:
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7:58 pm on Nov. 5, 2007 (utc 0)
