Mobile Internet World: Rich Minor VP Strategy Google on Open Handset Alliance

by: admin Friday, November 16th, 2007

by Beth Marcus (guest blogger and CEO Zeetoo)

Rich Minor VP Wireless Strategy Google talked about the Open Handset Alliance. There are 34 companies in the OHA, whose goal is to “accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience.”

Their Linux platform called Android™, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. Carriers who were mentioned as supporting Android were Sprint, T-mobile and Telefonica and handsets from Motorola, Samsung and LG were mentioned. All apps with run the same on all handsets was a stated goal.

Android permits horizontal integration between apps and openness permits users to rate apps and create an open market for apps. The stated focus is “applications, internet connectivity and user experience” Rich Minor when asked about iPhone said, “I have an iPhone and it’s a great platform.” He also mentioned that the range of devices supporting Android will include some phones touch screens. The Google website shows a touch screen phone and a PDA type phone.

Jack Dziak SVP Corp. Strategy for Sprint said that average US household has 25 electronic devices and they could all be connected.

Beth Marcus: Final Words
I listened to some interesting facts and a lot of cheer leading about what the mobile internet can be… but

Remember, if you’ve had a bad experience with the mobile web the following things;

Most technologies suck when they are new
People will persist and use them anyway, forcing them to get better
When they are better enough we won’t remember how bad they once were

Today you can find pockets of excellence in device usability, discoverability of content and openness of delivery method. The signs are all here for those pillars to expand and extend and before you know it we will all be doing it every day and no longer lugging our laptops everywhere and we will be blogging, chatting, searching and finding and having fun with our friends, family and colleagues via our mobiles.

Our children won’t even remember what life was like when mobiles were phones.