Android iOS is closed and open

A giant snowman-shaped gingerbread cookie (gingerbread, in English), a huge cupcake (cupcake), a donut, a bobby cream (éclair), a bowl full of frozen yogurt (Froy) ... could be a candy, but no. It is the gateway to one of the buildings in Google's headquarters in Mountain View (California). Garden lying on the XL size figures welcome the headquarters of Android, the operating system that has replaced the IOS of the iPhone and threatens to dominate the so-called smart phones.



"It is completely open, we can grow massively"

Nexus S is the new mobile, four-inch screen, Samsung

Cupcake, donut, éclair and Frøya are the names of the versions of Android. The last, gingerbread, was presented this week with Nexus S, a four-inch Samsung Mobile and NFC short-range technology to pay the terminal. Responsible for all this pastry is Andy Rubin, creator of software that Google bought in 2005 and then became the centerpiece of its strategy in mobile. Two years after launching the first handset, the HTC Dream, Android dominates 25% of the global market, far exceeds Apple, fed 100 models of smartphones and enables 300,000 units daily. Almost nothing.

"If I had to attribute success to a single decision would be to give full license to use. Being free software we ensure widespread adoption, is a winning strategy," says Rubin, 47.

He refuses to give figures, as the number of engineers in its ranks. "Calculate, fit in this building," he smiles at the ceiling. Neither confirm whether it can wrest the worldwide leader Symbian in 2015, as predicted by Gartner. "Android is open, we have all the ingredients to grow massively." Of course, throws a few errands to its competitors: "Symbian has retreated to just be Nokia's operating system. You will see a limited distribution. And Windows Phone 7 leaves no customization, all look the same ... The world does not need another platform are only two or three operating systems on mobile. " http://mobile-phone-telefono-movil.blogspot.com/

Speaking of Apple iOS his tone becomes philosophical. In October, Steve Jobs blew against Google accusing him of misleading people by saying that Android iOS is closed and open. "Actually, it is integrated Android iOS very fragmented," said Jobs. Twitter Rubin responded two hours later, hanging up the link to the Android download page. "I did it because that's my definition of open: take the source code unpaid leave and do with it whatever you want. Any manufacturer can. IOS only works in an Apple product, that's my definition of closed and proprietary."

Is to see whether opening or not to end up hurting Google. Manufacturers and operators to take the opportunity to change the system at will and turn it into a new closed environment, giving priority to its content. Maybe that's why its application store has not yet been able to close the gap of 200,000 that separate it from the Apple. "Being the second store in the world is not bad," he says thoughtfully.

In the note her voice sounded the weight of two failures: the disappointment of One Nexus sales and the closure of the online store of mobile. "It was a disappointment. I thought it was something brilliant to sell mobile Internet, such as books, but did not work, it was too soon." Despite the bumps, mobility is a business of 1,000 million dollars for the search. "Android is a part of that amount and is cost effective, allows us to bring Google services to mobile and charge for advertising."

The next target passes through the tablets. Honeycomb (hive, in English) is the improved version for this equipment, but Rubin denied rumors about the launch of a tablet of Google. "I see no need, only will our logo on the product of a partner if asked to do so."

It makes the fool with the iPad. "No idea how many have sold." More than four million last quarter. "Yes? Go, are impressive figures. The tablets will eat other product categories, like the did with the PDA smartphone but would not say the PC is dead. Just evolves."

Looking ahead, the strategy is clear: a system for multiple computers. "That's the key, the developer who works with us knows that their applications work on mobile phones, televisions, tablets, netbooks ..." Many sectors, does not that sound a monopoly? "Quite the contrary. We do not control anything, Android is free."