The internet is predictably buzzing tonight with news of Google’s Android mobile phone platform.Loads of good commentary about, most of it already shared via Robert Scoble in his infamous link blog. I particularly liked Michael Gartenburg’s take on the announcement (‘this will prove to be far more disruptive to the mobile industry than if Google had simply announced a handset’). 

I think I agree, although the really smart part is that the Android strategy strategy capitalises on where the mobile phone industry is heading anyway.  In doing so, Google kind of repeat Microsoft’s move back when the Personal Computer market was about to explode all those years ago.

Sure the mobile phone market is already huge, and in some mature markets handset sales growth has slowed recently.  But something interesting is happening at the moment.  The distinction between non-smart and smart phones is disappearing rapidly.  A second phase in the market is emerging as the ubiquitous ‘dumb phone’ takes on smart phone features and evolves.  The mobile phone is becoming the new personal computing platform – the GPS, HSDPA, Email, High Res camera functionality of today’s Nokia N95 and other high end phones will be commonplace in a year’s time.  As these feature sets evolve typical usage of devices is gradually ‘deepening’.  Two years ago mobile internet was for geeks only, now it is reaching the tipping point into mass adoption.

The mobile phone will more and more be the device we use to store our data and interact with pretty much everything we value.  Google has realised this, and is therefore rightly not looking to just capture the geek and enthusiast market as it could have done by launching an uber-connected device of it’s own manufacture today.  Google is aiming for everyday users like my wife, who want a cool looking device that is friendly to use.  Giving the everyday majority of users simple and useful mobile access to Google services is the aim here. It’s far better to let Samsung, Motorola, LG etc to do what they do best (continue to evolve the feature set of devices with mass consumer appeal), whilst Google captures the operating system ecosystem for this new era in personal computing.  Google is almost pulling the same trick as Microsoft did all those years ago – very smart!

There are differences to be sure – the fact that Google won’t be charging OS licensing fees is the biggest.  This is merely a condition imposed by this marketplace.  The zero fee is needed to gain initial entry, but does anyone seriously doubt that there isn’t a sound business case behind this strategy?

Microsoft used to aim for a PC running Windows on every desktop. Google is anticipating a smart phone in every pocket and is aiming to be loaded on to as many devices as possible.  Personal computing will be mobile, and Google wants a big a slice of this.