Google Unveils "gPhone"

Google's long-awaited "gPhone" has turned out to be not a phone (at least not yet) but Android, an open operating system intended to make the mobile phone as useful a tool for marketers as the PC. The Android operating system will be developed through the Open Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance of technology and mobile companies Google has put together, including T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola, Samsung and Sprint Nextel. The platform "will enable anyone, Google included, to deliver advertising on a mobile device," said Ethan Beard, Google's director of new-business development.

Last word: Steve Ballmer's reaction to this announcement was "right now, it is just words on paper" - and he is right. While this development has the potential to give the mobile industry the kickstart that it has been waiting for, the devil is in the details. There simply has not been enough information released to determine how significant this development is. Nevertheless, one can never discount Google's ability to bring an idea to market. Stay tuned for more news on this in the days and weeks to come.

Read the full story in AdAge