Android™ delivers a complete set of software for mobile devices: an operating system, middleware and key mobile applications as well as a platform for third party application development.

Since it's launch by Google and other partners forming the Open Handset Alliance (www.openhandsetalliance.com) in 2008, with the first Android based mobile handset, the T-Mobile G1 being announced in September of the same year, the platform has been growing and to date has been adopted for mobile devices by major players including T-Mobile, HTC, Samsung, and Motorola.

Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It was built to be truly open.

Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge.