The Google Android Alliance. It sounds like something out of a Ed Wood science fiction movie, and maybe it is. Google has now announced its plan for the Google Mobile Phone, and it is not a phone at all — at least not yet.

As Search Engine Land reports it is a an open source mobile operating system. It is like Windows or a Mac OS for mobile phones and appliances. Android is based on the Linux operating system.

The Open Handset Alliance

So far more than 30 companies has signed up for the Open Handset Alliance.

Among the memberswe find LG, HTC, T-mobile, Sprint, and other telephone companies and manufactures. There are also software companies (eBay), semiconductor companies (Intel), and commercialization companies on board.

These companies are committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android Platform in the second half of 2008.

Major players missing

Who are missing? Well Microsoft and Apple are not on board. They have both their own operating systems running on mobile phones. Nokia is not on the list either. It remains to be seen if the Finns will stick to their own solutions.

US Verizon and At&T are also absent, as are Vodaphone and France Telecom.

No Gphone — yet

Google is not saying that there will be no Google branded “Gphone” (for instance produced by HTC, as some has hinted).

“Today’s announcement is more ambitious than any single ‘Google Phone’ that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we’re unveiling will power thousands of different phone models,” said Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt yesterday.

A virus threat?

Not all commentators are equally impressed.

The Wall Street Journal calls Android A Business-Tech Nightmare Waiting to Happen. WSJ argues that companies will try to stop employees from using this software due to security risks:

“The reason is that Google’s operating system is open, meaning anyone can write software for it. That includes bad guys, who will doubtlessly develop viruses and other malicious code for these phones, which unsuspecting Google phones owners will download.”

Maybe, but any mobile phone with a web browser can be vulnerable.

Will Android phones include Google Search? You bet they will! This is one way for Google to achieve its next goal: To dominate mobile web search in the same way as it is dominating PC searching.

See also
Google’s Android Day Two: Here Come The Bears (Search Engine Land)
Google Press Release
Is the the time right for mobile web? (Pandia)