There has been news of launching of android phones in India, with Samsung Galaxy, HTC Wildfire and Micromax Andro A60. There are more than 30 android based cell phones moving around in India market. Yourstory thought it was best time to come up with bits and bytes about android.
The pace of wireless global industry is unimaginable with advent and fall of technologies every hour. Yet there has always been innovation, yet there has been significant lack of technical standard for mobile and wireless industry, the inability to collaborate and then high cost of development. But then came Android.
So what is Android?
Android is a mobile phone operating system developed by Google. Android is unique because Google is actively developing the platform but giving it away for free to hardware manufacturers and phone carriers who want to use Android on their devices.
Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge.
Android History: How it all started?
In July 2005, Google acquired Android, a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA. Android’s co-founders who went to work at Google included
- Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger)
- Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire)
- Nick Sears (once VP at T-Mobile)
- Chris White (one of the first engineers at Web TV ).
At the time, little was known about the functions of Android other than they made software for mobile phones. This began rumors that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market, although it was unclear at the time what function they might perform in that market. At Google, the team, led by Rubin, developed a Linux-based mobile device OS which they were marketing to handset makers and carriers on the premise of providing a flexible, upgradeable system. It was reported that Google had already lined up a series of hardware component and software partners and signaled to carriers that it was open to various degrees of cooperation on their part. In November 2007 Google announced introduction of Android Platform.
Android Market
In keeping with the Open Handset Alliance goals of Android being the first open, complete, and free platform created specifically for mobile devices, Google offers the Android Market. The Android Market offers the ability for developers to create any application they choose with the community regulating whether the application is appropriate and safe, as opposed to relying on a formal screening process.
Android OS Usage
Android Future
Folks at android are making android platform more robust, to make it work across variety of platforms. Several companies have launched android based notebooks. But still traditional mobile companies like Nokia are adamant about Android, they say Android kills mobile, coz people would be buying cell-phones for OS and not as cell phones.
Nokia ex-executive recently quoted
“Mobile manufacturers who go the Android route are doing no better than Finnish boys who "pee in their pants" for warmth in the winter.”
Google understands that the success of Android depends on the commitment of operators and original equipment manufacturers, as well as the ability to promote applications development based on Android. Google will be supporting those goals by giving $10 million to developers who create applications based on Android
Source:
Arunabh Mishra has worked as a tech-consultant, a network engineer and a software engineer with Vodafone, Accenture( British Telecom). He also co-founder of a blogertising startup '3ardent'. He has developed a certain niche for wireless and telecom industry. A graduate in electronics and communication he also has a knack with pen & creativity.
One can follow his blogs at www.3ardent.com, arunabhmishra.wordpress.com
