Whose side is Google on anyway?

I recently read an article on arstechnica about Google and how through various machinations they are moving the Android experience many have come to expect from an open to a closed souce model and in doing so locking hardware manufacturers into their ecosystem.

The authors main argument is that as Android has evolved and gained a larger market share Google has stopped supporting the open source versions of many default applications. Opting instead to release high quality versinos but closed source variations. These apps include the calendar, SMS, and search apps. These apps don't complete the Android expirience on their own. In fact, other companies like Samsung have made their own completing versions of the apps for their own devices. Though the Google apps are always there.

Now hardware manuacturers are not required to put the Google apps ont their devices, and some, like Amazon with the Kindle Fire, have not. But foregoing the Google apps requires that a company build their own a versions of applications that Google provides. Things like the Google Play store and Google Maps. If a company can get Google Play on their device then the device comes with thousands of built in applications, making user migration easy and painless and making their device attractive to a broader audience. Things you need in the highly competitive mobile market.

Google Play does not come by itself though. If a company wants Google Play they have to license all of the apps that Google Provides. That first requires that Google lets you license their apps. This isn't always the easiet thing to do, but it does become easier if you join the Open Handset Alliance, OHA. I find the name of this group a bit misleading as to join the OHA a company has to pledge to support Google's Android. Seriously, if a company is part of the OHA they cannot make another device that runs any variation of Android that isn't Google's. If a company does they are immediately kicked out. This means that companies can't test the waters on the other side of Google's walled garden before taking the plunge. As a result companies have to have the infastructure previously provided by Google to be in place before the switch occurs and hope that users will follow them. Not always an easy task.

Right now there really isn't a way for any of the major companies to leave behind Google's Android and remain a competitor. I know that if tomorrow, Samsung annouced taht they would be taking their devices off of Google's infasturcture and put it on a custom system I would not be buying an Samsung device.

Through recent years Google has always been the "BIG" tech company that has always "done it right". They release almost every product they create for free, promote open source projects, and challenging the status quo of many industries. But they have a reached a point where they may be the company that needs to be challenged. We have championed Google as they have gone after Apple and the telecoms but at some point, a company is going to need to be abe to compete against Google. Google knows that and is putting the tools in place to prevent that from happening. Helping companies get noticed by requiring they build their entire business model on top of Googles. Ensuring that if a company leave it will be starting at square one while Google sits high and dry on the 100th floor.

Article Source: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/