Android Goes Live

Googol, n. 1) the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. 2) An incredibly humongous number.

Google, n. 1) a search engine that is used by millions to find information on the incredibly humongous World Wide Web.

Google, v. 1) to use the Google search engine to find this information.

In a short span of time, Google has grown from two guys’ post-graduate research study into a household word that is synonymous to Internet search. Fulfilling billions of search requests on a daily basis, Google search is the company’s strong suit. Now, Google has entered the mobile business with its cutting edge Android (http://www.android.com/) platform.

First, a bit of background: in July, 2005, Google acquired a small software startup named Android, Inc. Android, Inc.’s co-founders began work soon after on the then heavily-rumored mobile phone software for Google. The software was marketed to mobile phone makers and carriers as a flexible Linux-based system. Eventually it was revealed that Google had already lined up a number of hardware and software partners and that agreements with mobile providers were already on the drawing board.

The development of Android as well as Google’s foray into the cellular phone market became more publicly known when, in November 2007, the Open Handset Alliance was founded. The OHA, a consortium of major tech players including Google, Intel, Motorola, T-Mobile, and others, was launched with the aim to develop and promote open standards for mobile devices. On the same day, the OHA unveiled their first product, Google’s Android. It became clear that Android was merely an operating platform for mobile phones rather than a complete, stand-alone handset.

In August 2008, T-Mobile announced that they would create the first phone to use the software platform and operating system. This Google phone was to be the G1, the first commercial phone based on Android and the product of a partnership between T-Mobile and Google. The T-Mobile G1 is expected to go on sale on October 22, 2008. Excitement over this new mobile phone has reached considerable levels as Android represents a major departure from traditional mobile phone systems in that it is a completely open system.

The openness of Android is the platform’s main draw for programmers and developers. Unlike currently deployed systems based on competing operating systems, Android allows anybody to write programs and applications for any phone using Android (recently, one of Android’s main competitors announced that they too would open up their system). Additionally, the use of Linux as the core of Android will bring stability, reliability, and security to the platform. Android will also benefit from the rapid development that happens in Linux. Lastly, from a financial standpoint, phones based on Android will quite possibly be cheaper than phones based on competing operating systems because of cheaper licensing fees for the software. The open design of Android is in keeping with Google’s friendliness towards the Open Source software movement which is making huge waves in the software world.