Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A Google Phone May Dial Up Trouble

Google has help a lot of time and money building a broad alliance of companies invested Android, its operating system for mobile phones. The Open Handset Alliance now has 47 members, including hardware, software and chip companies. Now, Google is considering a move to a separate phone, sell, could undermine the coalition. Phone makers like Motorola and Samsung, in particular, could begin to view Google as a rival than an ally, if the search giant started selling products in a head-to-head with theirs. "This can destroy the Open Handset Alliance," said Will Stofega program manager of market research at IDC.

Google has not confirmed his intention to sell its own phone number. The company, in a 12th December blog, says he has only to employees, "a device that is innovative hardware with a partner with software that connects to the new Android mobile features and functionality test. But, suppose partner Google with a phone number for next year. He could the unit selling directly to customers, but Bloomberg BusinessWeek has learned that Google is in talks on the distribution of T-Mobile USA.

Google may need to sell its own smartphone, to be better with Apple, which has the lead early on to compete with the popular iPhone. To ensure its place in the new world of mobile computing, Google has a large number of people with Android phones, and a large community of developers who have submitted applications. Frank Meehan, CEO of INQ Mobile, a British company, which plans to release an Android phone in the next year, says a Google phone could benefit the entire market. "If that helps users like Android devices, making it good for us if we" start, "he said.

But Meehan and others have concerns. If Google is the best applications for new functions and features its own Android phone, it would have an unfair advantage. Michael Thompson, Senior Vice President of Nuance Android app developer says it is "very likely" that covered some phone makers Android if Google do business with mobile phones. Some partners in May switch allegiance to rivals such as Symbian, Android, the operating system supported by Nokia, or the decline of the Microsoft Windows phone. "If you bring Microsoft back into the game, I can not imagine a better way," said Jack Gold, principal at technology research J. Gold Associates, a business.

Kevin Burden, an analyst with consultancy ABI Research says Google may believe that he can best promote the capabilities of Android, motivate, and thus its partners. But it must recognize the risks, too. "It's kind of playing with fire," he said.

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