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Verizon Wireless Joins Google in Android Development By Barry Levine October 6, 2009 9:38AM     Verizon Wireless became the third major wireless carrier to join the Android bandwagon as it agreed to work with Google on development. T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel offer Android devices, and Verizon promised to unveil handsets soon. AT&T is the only major carrier not on the Android train. An analyst noted that Verizon is now backing open standards.   Related Topics Verizon Wireless Android Google T-Mobile Sprint AT&T Latest News Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly Barnes & Noble Nook Is Delayed Flat PC Shipments Hurt Dell's Stock Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social Another major wireless carrier will offer Google's open-source Android mobile platform as Verizon Wireless agreed to collaborate on "leading-edge mobile applications, services and devices." With this agreement, Android will now be offered by three of the four major U.S. carriers. AT&T is the only carrier not yet on the Android train. T-Mobile was first, and Sprint Nextel has also climbed aboard. Android Devices Soon The joint announcement doesn't detail specific devices, services or applications, but talks broadly of the collaboration . The companies said they will co-develop "several" Android-based devices to be manufactured by leading handset makers with applications from both companies and third-party developers. Verizon said Android-based handsets will be unveiled "within the next few weeks." Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said the collaboration is "not a surprise." Up to this point, he noted, Verizon hasn't been an official member of the Open Handset Alliance which promotes Android as a platform, but "they are now." Verizon, he said, "clearly needed to offer better devices to compete with Apple and AT&T," which exclusively distributes the iPhone in the U.S., "and to reduce its overall reliance on Research in Motion," the maker of BlackBerry smartphones. Greengart said Google had been "hurting for distribution" of Android devices, but now, with three carriers onboard, that is no longer a problem. Android should now be able to "jump-start" its movement toward a larger installed base, he said. iPhone Speculation 'Not Realistic' Earlier this year, Google successfully convinced the Federal Communications Commission to make part of the wireless spectrum it offered at auction open to any device. While Google bid on that spectrum, Verizon ended up with the winning bid. Now Verizon is becoming part of the Google open-access platform. The spectrum win and other factors "do seem to have affected Verizon's strategic thinking," Greengart said. In addition to becoming a key player in open-access spectrum and open-platform devices, he noted, Verizon's next-generation wireless technology, Long Term Evolution, is also open. There had been speculation that Verizon might be angling to pick up Apple's iPhone in the U.S. once AT&T's exclusive agreement expires. But Greengart said that speculation was "not realistic," since it would require Apple to create an iPhone for Verizon's technology. But, he added, even if Verizon were to get the iPhone, why not also have Android devices? And those Android devices might not all be smartphones. Android has started appearing on other devices, such as on a five-inch tablet from ARCHOS, and on the CrunchPad, a larger, Net-surfing Android-based tablet from a company founded by technology blogger Michael Arrington that is expected to be released later this fall.   Advertisement  Digital Life 1.   FAA Glitch Causes Air Travel Delays 2.   Call of Duty Is Setting Records 3.   Palm Pixi Is Stylish But Sluggish 4.   Watchmakers Turn to the iPhone 5.   TV on the Go Is a Little Lacking Frugal Twitter-Only Device Offered TwitterPeek doesn't need a data plan. Average Rating: Multimedia E-Reader Unveiled Creative Labs prepares Mediabook. Average Rating: Motorola's Droid Appears Strong Early estimates put sales at 250,000. Average Rating:

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Network Security Spotlight

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Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

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Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   Smartphones: A Bigger Target for Security Threats Smartphones are increasingly prevalent and adept at handling more tasks, including trading stocks, paying bills, and buying stuff online. That makes them attractive to thieves and hackers.   FBI Says Hackers Targeting Law Firms, PR Companies Hackers are targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients.

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