Android is the first open source mobile application platform that has the potential to make significant inroads in many markets. When examining Android there are a number of dimensions to consider, both technical and market related. This first section introduces the platform and provides some context to help better understand Android and where it fits in the global cell phone scene. Android is the product of primarily Google, but more appropriately, the Open Handset Alliance. The Open Handset Alliance is an organization of approximately 30 organizations committed to bringing a “better” and “open” mobile phone to market. A quote taken from their website says it best, “Android was built from the ground up with the explicit goal to be the first open, complete, and free platform created specifically for mobile devices.” As discussed in this section, open is good, complete is good, however “free” may be turn out to be an ambitious goal. There are many examples of “free” in the computing market that are free from licensing, but of course there is a “cost of ownership” when taking support and hardware costs into account. And of course, “free” cell phones come tethered to two year contracts, plus tax. No matter the way some of the details play out, the introduction of Android is a market moving event and Android is likely to prove an important player in the mobile software landscape.
