Confirming its long-rumored move into the cell-phone market, which was known to ordinary masses as Google Phone, the Search powerhouse announced that it's finishing up a mobile-software package that will include an operating system and applications that would be .. yes... free.Thirty-four companies have will join the Open Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance that will work on developing applications on the Android platform. Members of the alliance include mobile handset makers HTC and Motorola, U.S. operator T-Mobile, and chipmaker Qualcomm.
But Google is refusing to call its creation the "Google phone.Instead, the project is called Android, after the start-up company that Google gobbled up in 2004 for its mobile software, and Google won't be making or marketing any phones itself.
"This is going to bring the Internet into cell phones in a very cool way," Android co-founder Andy Rubin, now Google's director of mobile platforms, said at the announcement.
Google Press Release posted at its site says
A broad alliance of leading technology and wireless companies today joined forces to announce the development of Android, the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. Google Inc., T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others have collaborated on the development of Android through the Open Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance of technology and mobile industry leaders.
By providing developers a new level of openness that enables them to work more collaboratively, Android will accelerate the pace at which new and compelling mobile services are made available to consumers.
Android (also known as the Google Phone or gPhone) is a Linux based smartphone software platform .The Android platform is free software, available under the Apache open source licence.
The Android platform consists of an operating system, middleware, a user-friendly interface, and applications. Consumers should expect the first phones based on Android to be available in the second half of 2008.
You can know more about Android and openhandsetalliance here
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