Posts tagged Android Operating System

Google Android mobile platform is a software platform and operating system for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. Android in the near future will make mobile’s cheaper and more affordable as handset manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and Motorolla will not need to pay licensing fee to Symbian or Windows Mobile for using their operating system.

Google Android Mobile Platform Logo

In July 2005, Google acquired Android Inc., a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA.  At the time, little was known about the functions of Android Inc. 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 what function it might perform in that market.

The unveiling of the Android platform on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 hardware, software and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google has pledged to make most of the Android platform available under the Apache free-software and open-source license, once it is released in 2008.

Android mobile has had its share of criticism for not being all open-source software despite what was announced by Google. Parts of the SDK are proprietary and closed source, and some believe this is so that Google can control the platform. The Android Software Development Kit License Agreement states that:

3.2 You agree that Google (or Google’s licensors) own all legal right, title and interest in and to the SDK, including any intellectual property rights which subsist in the SDK. Use, reproduction and distribution of components of the SDK licensed under an open source software license are governed solely by the terms of that open source software license and not by this License Agreement. Until the SDK is released under an open source license, you may not extract the source code or create a derivative work of the SDK.

Google has since announced that all parts of the Android OS will be released under the Apache License where applicable and under the GPL elsewhere. Google’s applications that interact with Google’s systems, such as their email service, are not open source.

Most of us are eagerly awaiting the release of mobiles based on the Android Mobile Operating Platform, however I’m still not sure whether it would be for the good or bad. Afterall, how much power do we want to see in the hands of Google?

Parts of this post have been sourced from Wikipedia