Google Android - The Android Log

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

While Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) is the undisputed leader in Internet search, the company hasn’t done much on the wireless front. Then again, it’s a tough market to crack (and, by the way, many companies have failed in the effort).

As a result, Google has had to take an innovative strategy – that is, building an open software platform known as Android. In fact, today the company released the software development kit (SDK). There is even a promotion for $10 million in prizes for developers.

To get some perspective on things, I had a chance to interview Frank Dickson, who is a principal at MultiMedia
Intelligence.

As expected, the Google plan has received a lot of attention. But how important is this?

Although Apple, Inc.’s iPhone has been in vogue, the Google announcement is the most significant announcement in the wireless industry of the year. It is bringing an open platform to the handset to allow for a global ecosystem of development of applications for handsets. These applications are not only client centric applications, but also network centric applications, allowing the handset to essentially become a thin client for some applications.

Let’s also not underestimate the advertising possibilities to allow for the replication of many viable Internet business models on the handset.

Read the rest of the interview at, Google jolts mobile industry with Android