Google introduces Android and the Open Handset Alliance
Google announced today in a press release their vision of an open handset along with a list of companies who are part of the alliance. These companies include everything from carriers to phone manufacturers that are all working towards the same common goal -- to revolutionize this industry.
Like what Google did with the OpenSocial initiative, they pulled together a strong initial list of participants that all of a sudden look like "the good guys" compared to the others who are now "the bad guys". The initial list of supporters includes 34 companies:
Aplix, Ascender Corporation, Audience, Broadcom, China Mobile, eBay, Esmertec, Google, HTC, Intel, KDDI, LivingImage, LG, Marvell, Motorola, NMS Communications, Noser, NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Nuance, Nvidia, PacketVideo, Qualcomm, Samsung, SiRF, SkyPop, SONiVOX, Sprint Nextel, Synaptics, TAT - The Astonishing Tribe, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Texas Instruments, T-Mobile, Wind River
The SDK for developers is set to be released on November 12th according to the official open handset alliance website. But how "open" will an "open handset" be? Well, according to the website, it is open enough that Google's software can easily be replaced with something else.
As the entire platform is open, companies can remove functionality if they choose. Applications are not set in stone, and differentiation is always possible. For example, if you want to include Hotmail instead of Gmail, it will not be an issue.
It appears this effort is truely an attempt at changing the way the mobile industry works, not just Google's way of cornering the entire market.