Android - colossus with feet of clay? - Network World (subskrypcia)

Although Google spent billions of dollars on the development of the Android platform is the involvement and commitment to the company’s operating system does not seem too strong. Last year, revenue from Android, generated by the use of Google mobile smart phones (ads), amounted to approximately $ 500 million. With respect to the forecast, total revenue giant, estimated at $ 40 billion, is less than 1.5%.

Worth noting that, until recently, the company would bring more benefits to users of iPhone and iPad s. Currently, it is estimated that Android gently taking the lead. It is difficult to expect that it will change the company’s approach to Android. It is clear that for Google more economies of scale count than the designation of a clear development path of mobile platforms.

Loyalty should not also expect the suppliers of equipment, which is installed on the Android system. High activity of manufacturers of smartphones and tablets is dictated primarily by profit. According to analysts, the most innovative company in the field of copyright introducing amendments to the Samsung Android.

Korean company’s range of products, however, goes far beyond the Google mobile platform. The company invests in the development of its own system Bada, who as a result of the recent decision will be connected to a Linux-based platform Tizen (MeeGo successor). Samsung als o offers smarftony based on Windows Phone, which also frees the company from a single vendor specific operating system.
Expansion of other manufacturers, especially those located in Asia, contributed to the well-known problems with updating Google’s Android. To encourage customers to frequent mentioning smartphones delaying the publication of their newer versions of Windows Mobile or even impossible to install it on older devices.

Android Platform can also harm the eventual defeat in the ongoing process between Google and Oracle for copyright infringement related to the use of Java in the design of the system. Oracle has already shown in the past that he can win similar disputes. Several years ago, SAP ordered to pay Oracle $ 1.3 billion for infringement of intellectual property rights (another appeal SAP significantly reduced this amount, but the pronunciation of the judgment has been maintained). If you Google it loses the open-source Android platform sl ogans promoting formation of distinct crack, and motivation to invest in the company’s mobile operating system may decrease even more.

Despite these troubling signs, the future of Android, however, will eventually depend on the users. And so far for their great support of this platform can count on.