Okay, I assume everyone has heard of Google's Android platform for mobile phones. While there isn't much known about the platform, how its going to be used, what tier phones will use it, or how it will generate profit for Google. Its still interesting.
This is going to be Google's first real departure from the web world. As I mentioned earlier, there are many questions, but the one that I have been unable to answer is: How is Google going to profit from this? I am sure Google knows what they are doing, they seem like smart people, but how do they plan on making money on an open platform? Even if they don't want to make money on it, how do they prevent providers and mobile device makers from just getting a platform for nothing? Or is that what they intend on doing?
But in truth those questions don't matter, the only thing that matters is that it exists. As cellphones are becoming a more central part of people's lives, there needs to be more innovation, more change. Android will help cause this, just as Apple did nearly a year ago. It doesn't even matter if it sells well, or if is as great as people expect it to be. It will bring in competition, which is ALWAYS good.
Having worked for Motorola for two summers, its interesting to be on the inside. Its very easy to get stuck in a rut; just go about making the same product each year, but change a few little things here and there. This might sound horrible, but for most consumers its good enough. But when you have a disruption such as new software platform, great things will come of it.
Having accepted a full time job with Microsoft on the Windows Mobile team and then hearing about Android didn't cause me to reconsider my decision. If nothing else, it put a smile on my face. I can only hope it stirred up things over at Microsoft, nothing like fighting for the consumer!
