The time to build Android apps is now

Android is the fastest growing mobile operating system right now -- and that's really exciting. With the new features they announced with Froyo, they have further demonstrated their dominance in this space. Not only is it running mobile phones, but also the newest Google TV product that will be in living rooms this holiday season.

In just 18 months, Google has created one of the most open, and mature mobile platforms available -- this means that device manufacturers are free to use Android on their phones, and developers handed a rich set of API's to use while making apps.

At the F5 expo in Vancouver last month, I asked a simple question to a panel of mobile app experts: Does it make sense to develop Android apps -- especially since the platform is growing so fast, and there is less competition (and fewer barriers to entry)? They flat out said "no" -- this is the ignorance I was hoping for.

Android developers have a good chance to take advantage of this mature platform before iPhone developers figure out it's a smart idea to port their apps, or build new ones for Android. This is a golden opportunity -- if you're a developer, you should go for it.