Verizon jilts Google’s Android for rival open handset platform

By Mickey Alam Khan

May 15, 2008

A Verizon Wireless store

Verizon Wireless spurned Google’s Android open handset platform for a Linux-based consortium in a move that effectively ensures that power is not concentrated in one entity’s hands.

The U.S. No. 2 wireless carrier joins the LiMo Foundation, gaining the final seat on the consortium’s board of directors. Other members of LiMo include Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Vodafone and Samsung Electronics.

“By joining the LiMo Foundation, we get to bring the unique needs of our customers and developers directly to the table as the LiMo-flavored Linux operating system continues to grow and evolve,” said Jeffrey Nelson, executive director of corporate communications at Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, NJ.

“We ensure compatibility with [the] needs of [the] Verizon Wireless network and, at the end of the day, our business customers and individual consumers,” he said.

LiMo is collaborating with carriers across North America, Asia and Europe on an internationally consistent handset software platform. Its 39 members also include device and chipset makers, integrators and independent software vendors.

All LiMo members are working to make the LiMo Platform open and free to its users worldwide. The platform is based on Mobile Linux.

LiMo works to Verizon Wireless’ advantage in several ways.

First, it brings global scale to Verizon Wireless’ devices, resulting in lower costs in such areas as chipsets. Verizon Wireless currently uses the BREW operating system from Qualcomm.

Next, developers for the LiMo operating system aren’t in a permission-based ecosystem since LiMo is not proprietary and not affiliated with any specific company.

“With Google’s Android, that company could decide at any moment that all developers or carriers or handset manufacturers would need to knock at the door of the Googleplex for permission or payment to offer applications,” Mr. Nelson said.

“LiMo is a collaborative effort, structured with a fully operating board of directors, while Google’s Android is a sign-on organization,” he said.

“[But] just because we’re preferring LiMo doesn’t in any way exclude us from offering devices using Google’s Android operating system. In fact, we fully expect to.”

Finally, with LiMo, there’s no barrier to entry for developers. Anybody can develop programs on the platform and offer applications to mobile companies worldwide.

“That means getting the best of the best – not just the best developers and applications who happen to be on a proprietary network,” Mr. Nelson said.

An equal joint venture of Verizon Communications and Europe’s Vodafone, Verizon Wireless currently has 67.2 million customers. The company is No. 2 after AT&T Inc., but is furiously adding customers while other carriers such as Sprint Nextel are hemorrhaging subscribers.

The participating in LiMo is also a block-and-tackle measure to keep Internet firms such as search-focused Google from extending their dominance to mobile. Verizon’s participation will go deep.

“We’ll contribute financially, but also with our intellectual property, helping steer [the] LiMo Foundation to address operating issues important to Verizon and our customers,” Mr. Nelson said.