Android Software - Term Paper Example

 Android Software Name University Professor Class Abstract With the fast paced technology, mobile applications can only be used with certain software. The only time these applications will work on a certain mobile, smartphone or tablet computer, it should be compatible with the software or operating system (OS) of the gadget. It will not work if the application is not compatible with the OS. Prices of gadgets nowadays are continuously increasing as new technologies are introduced. To use a new application, one should get a new gadget. Such inconveniences are being brought about by the advancement in technology. In 2007, android software was introduced to make these technology advancements more accessible. Different applications can now be used with only 1 gadget. Introduction Almost half of the world’s population uses a mobile or cellular phone nowadays. From a grade school pupil to college student, from a worker to an executive, everybody uses mobile as they go through their daily lives. The primary usage of mobile phones is to call another mobile or landline and to send Short Message Service or SMS. The first mobile network was used for military purposes during the 1940’s. Motorola was the first company who presented the prototype of the world’s first ever mobile phone in 1973. This was commercially introduced in 1983 and cost $3995. The first mobile with a PDA feature was introduced by Bell South/IBM in 1993. Besides the basic phone features, this mobile has pager features as well. It also has a calculator, calendar, fax and e-mail capabilities. As years pass, technologies also have made its advancements. From the first mobile that was originally a foot long, the mobiles that are widely being sold and used lately are barely 15cm in length and weigh less than half a pound (Speckmann, 2008). It is not just the physical features of mobile phones that changed through the years, but also the functions and features. From the original usage, now it has broadened its use and capabilities. Mobiles with Symbian operating system or Windows operating system just to name a few were introduced. As these new operating systems were launched, applications that are compatible with each operating system (OS) are developed also. As Andy Rubin stated in an interview back in 2008 “there should be nothing that users can access on their desktop that they cannot access on their cell phone” (Waters, 2008). Main Body As technology makes its way to our daily lives, mobile phones and tablet PC’s are becoming one of the necessities in our daily lives. Whether one is a student, a worker, an executive or a politician, the usage of such gadgets is presently considered as a normal thing. With the emergence of these applications, one needs a specific OS for a specific application. If a person’s mobile has a different OS and needs a certain application which is not compatible with his mobile’s OS, then he needs to find other applications which are compatible or get a new mobile phone. With this in mind, Google released an OS that can manage different applications which used to be an exclusive application for certain OS. The Android OS was the brain child of Andy Rubin, a former robot maker. Andy Rubin founded Android in 2003 after leaving Danger which was eventually bought by Microsoft in 2008. Google’s attention was caught by Android’s wide advancements in mobile phone technology and acquired Android. With this Andy Rubin became Google’s new mobile boss. It was just a start of a very ambitious yet very innovative idea that Rubin will be spearheading for Google (Waters, 2008) As Android starts to emerge in the market, big mobile phone companies start to develop their mobiles using Android OS. These companies are Sony Ericsson and Samsung just to name a few. Statistical data for 2011 shows that Android users come in second to Apple users as far as application download is concerned. According to the Nielsen Company, iPhone and Android users "use their apps more often: 68 percent of app downloaders with iPhones and 60 percent of those with Android phones reported using their mobile apps multiple times a day compared to 45 percent of app downloaders with Blackberry/RIM phones" (Choney, 2011) To further maximize the market for androids, there are still other versions of android operating system. Parts of the android family that Google is continuously developing are Google TV, Android Dev Phones, and Maps API key. The Android Cloud to Device Messaging is a service that helps developers sends data from servers to their applications on Android devices. Explanation of Business and Technical Problem When Android was introduced in 2008, just like new technologies being released, there were problems that the operating system faced. Initial reactions when Android came out in the market was how many carriers are going to offer Android mobiles. As years pass, Sony Ericson and Samsung Mobiles adopted the android OS on the mobile units that they’ve released in the market (Kapustka, 2008). Another problem that the OS faced was the reaction of the market and the users of the Android applications. Promising results though were encountered by the developers. With the boom of mobile units using Android OS, application developers made their own programs available for Android users. Google is still pushing the limits aggressively to release successive versions of the OS to prove that the company is fulfilling their commitment and platforms. (Nguyen, 2011) Another loop hole with the OS was with regards to security of its users. It was said that there is a lack of an application certification process which means another big hurdle for developers to cross, namely convincing users to trust that their app is safe, won’t break their phone or transmit personal info to undisclosed locations. With the emergence of Android OS, there were also changes in the prices of mobile units in the market. Mobile phones with Android OS’s have prices cut almost in half compared when the mobile units have an exclusive Symbian or Windows OS in it. Limitations With the creation of this operating system, Android still does not completely answer the problem of developers and users. An example of which is “Google Talk functions and only the simplest implementation of Bluetooth.” Android mobiles do not have any Bluetooth stereo, no contacts exchange, no modem pairing and no using of wireless keyboards. Another limitation of the Android is that Firefox Mobile is not coming to Android because of Android limitations. This is due to a Java program that is needed to run on Android which the developers of Mozilla and the people from Fennec would not have and would not be releasing any form of Firefox until Google amends the limitation of Android applications. (Jantscher, et al 2009) It is also said that many android handsets do not even get security updates and simple bug fixes in time. Conclusion Though we are already in the 21st century and technology advancements come almost every single day, it would not completely answer one’s needs. There are still more applications yet to come out in the market for end users to use. “With about three billion people using mobile phones worldwide and the number of devices that can access the net climbing rapidly, the future of the web is definitely mobile. And with the absence of one company dominating the mobile arena as yet, the race is very much on,” according to Darren Waters, the technology director for BBC in San Francisco. With hundreds of possible combination for application for each OS that needs to be programmed for Android, the story continues in terms of the development of the software. The unpredictability of the evolution in technology, maybe Google will lose track of what it would want to project in the market towards software development goes. The late Steve Jobs paraphrased or quoted something from the book Young Guns by Robert Tuchman in 2009. He said that, “Be different. Think different. Better to be a pirate than to join the navy.” One can think that it pertains to the developers of Android, that instead of making software for mobiles or tablet PCs that can be used for all applications, just present a new line of applications exclusively to be used for Androids with state of the art security features yet user friendly and an all-in device. Another quote from the late Steve Jobs which can be related to the emergence of these software, “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better.” This is set to be a challenge for other software developers that though it is a fight for them in the market, it will always be the consumers who will be benefiting from their breakthroughs and will decide who will dominate the mobile industry. Weird however, most of the quotes stated by the former Apple CEO seemed to be addressed to the developers of a software that though the operating system itself is a breakthrough, it aimed to get previously developed applications to most of the mobile users and not developing new applications for their own mobile devices. References Jantscher, M., Talhaoui, M., De Vos, D., Cunha, I., Roszcyk, A., Datsyuk, M. (2009) Android. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from Kapustka, P. (2008, May 28). Android: Much Coolness, But 3 Big Problems. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from GigaOM.Com King, A. (2011, March 9). The Android OS Update Problem. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from AlexKing.Org Kovach, S. (2011, May 21). Andy Rubin: The Man Who Changed Mobile. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from Businessinsider.com < http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-05-21/tech/30089024_1_android-phones-and-tablets-andy-rubin> Nguyen, C. (2011, June 29). From Fragmentation to Obsolescence: Problems with the Android Ecosystem. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from GottaBeMobile.Com Schmidt, A. D., Schmidt, H. G., Batyuk, L., Clausen, J. H., Camtepe, S. A., Albayrak, S. Smartphone Malware Evolution Revisited: Android Next Target? Retrieved October 13, 2011 from Speckmann, B. (2008, April 16). The Android Mobile Platform. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from Waters, D. (2008, February 28). Google Bets on Android Future .Retrieved October 13, 2011 from BBC News Shockya.Com (2011). Top 10 Steve Jobs Quote. Retrieved October 13, 2011 from Read More