Google Unveils Open Handset Alliance

It's no secret that Google has an amazing, innovative cell phone in the works, thusfar dubbed the gPhone. Watching their recent acquisitions, you can see a trend toward phone to computer interoperability, as well as increased telecommunication options.

But Google couldn't get there alone. They may have an annual revenue that beats out most small countries ($10.6 billion to be exact), but they can't jump into the cell phone game without a little help from industry leaders. A few of the charter members are Motorola, LG, HTC, Intel, and, of course, Google.

Enter the Open Handset Alliance. Together, the OHA has developed a platform named Android. According to the OHA, Android is

the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. We are committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android Platform in the second half of 2008. An early look at the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) will be available on November 12th.

Pretty impressive, considering at the moment, phones, even by the same company, are stifled by differing, closed platforms that aren't developer-friendly. With the release of their SDK, developers world wide will, for the first time, be able to code, distribute and monetize their products to the thusfar under-utilized cellular market.

But what does all this mean to the consumer? Half the work of creating a cellular phone is developing an operating system. With this new open platform, we'll begin to see companies relying on new technology, rather than expensive interface upgrades, to be the driving force in sales. Companies can focus on the core technology of the phone, and leave the extensions up to outside developers. Finally, we may catch up with Asian countries such as Korea and Japan in terms of our wireless technology.

Oh, yeah, and the phones will cost less, too.

Read more about Android and the Open Handset Alliance by visiting openhandsetalliance.com