Mobile Technology and Entrepreneurship (in Kenya)

I presented this at the 10th Annual Strathmore University ICT Conference: Opportunities and Challenges Towards an Entrpreneurial Economy

Up and Running on Android

Today I decided to quit making excuses and get going on the Android. I just set up the development environment and ran a few demo applications on it as well as explored the existing functionality. Here’s a screen capture of what my blog looks like from the emulator:

The Google Android

Recently Google acquired Android, and consequently taking a huge stride in their endeavors into the Mobile space. Android is a great platform from what I can tell after reading the online documentation and viewing a few videos. It’s built squarely on top of Linux and Java technology and has a solid architecture around it. Google is also publishing an SDK for devs to take a hack at Android as well as boosting interest by launching a competition with $10 million in prizes for the best apps built on the platform.

While Steve Ballmer of Microsoft thinks that Google so far have a lot of talk on paper and no clearly definitive way ahead for the new technology platform, it is clear that the Android has created a buzz already especially with the well known talk of Google’s suspected GPhone plans.

Taking in Android also brought in some key technologists and engineers into the Google fold. As explained in this BusinessWeek article:

Rubin isn’t the only well-known Silicon Valley veteran joining Google via Android. Others coming over include Andy McFadden, who worked with Rubin at WebTV before helping develop the all-in-one set-top box for Moxi Digital; Richard Miner, former vice-president of technology and innovation at telecom outfit Orange before joining Android; and Chris White, who spearheaded the design and interface for WebTV in the late 1990s, before helping to found Android.

Clearly, Google, in my opinion has taken a very wise decision in partnering with Rubin and the Android team. My speculation is that this acquisition will reap benefits for them in a very significant way in the future. 2008 will have a lot of buzz in regards to this.

One such foreseeable benefit would be the chance to put Google in literally everyone’s palm, after all they did it with search and the internet. Now they have a chance to get Google technology on your mobile device without having to access it over the internet. Somewhat like Microsoft’s OS, it’s just already there and you use it naturally. Plu, there are foreseeably more chances to partner with mobile and mobile content delivery companies.

You can find a good collection of videos on this topic here.