Mountain View, Calif. - Google (NASD: GOOG) announced on Monday the development of Android, an open platform for mobile devices that will support Google's applications and services, and is being created in collaboration with T-Mobie, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and over 30 other firms.

In recent months, many had speculated the company was planning to release its own handset, or "Gphone."

"Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks," said Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt.

"Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models."

The Android platform will compete with existing phone software platforms from companies including Nokia, Palm, Research in Motion, Microsoft and Apple.

The Open Handset Alliance, comprised of the 34 companies working on and supporting Android, said it will next week release an early access software development kit.

The first phones to ship with Android software are then expected in the second half of 2008.

Related Links:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20071105_mobile_open.html

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheres-my-gphone.html

http://www.openhandsetalliance.com