Center for Global Communications

Speaker: Philip Sugai, Director, Mobile Consumer Lab, Associate Dean, Associate Professor of Marketing, International University of Japan.

Date & Time: 21 March 2008, 13:30-16:00 (GLOCOM, Roppongi)

Abstract: The presentation will look through the hype and cynicism surrounding Google's official announcement of Android and the Open Handset Alliance and identify the key opportunities and critical barriers facing the future evolution of this platform.

Google's plans are focused on the development of a comprehensive ecosystem which aims to bring mutual benefit to all participating members, and spark innovation in handset designs, content and service offerings as well as overall consumer behavior.

Yet, based on the dynamics of the existing mobile industry, they face a number of fundamental challenges in realizing these dreams. This report benchmarks the Open Handset Alliance against Japan's "Wireless Ecosystem" model, as well as competing services offered by Symbian, Microsoft, MontaVista, Apple, and RIM. Through this analysis, five key insights are presented and a roadmap for the future success of Google's Wireless Ecosystem is provided.