I asked Dominic Travers, one of the organisers of this week’s Droidcon android conference, to give us a preview of one of the event’s keynotes. If you haven’t got your ticket yet, there are still a few left so be quick. I’m looking forward to it!
Over to Dominic:
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Traditionally there was a big gap between Original Equipment Manufacturers and independent mobile software developers. The last couple of years have seen a rapid change in this dynamic. What is it like for a company to take a brand new operating system that has only been in the wild for 2 years, design hardware, code and deliver a range of devices? We think this must be quite a challenge, particularly as consumers now are very quick to spread news of anything they don’t like across social networks. Manufacturers usually deliver their phones to the network operators and quietly move on to the next set. I have never seen a handset manufacturer talk about these challenges, even behind closed doors with their major MNO customers, let alone to a public audience, until now.
On Friday afternoon, Karl-Johan Dahlström and Erik Hellman of Sony Ericsson will provide an unique insight in to what it is really like working with Android. Developing the hardware and software integration, and providing a compelling user experience. Factor in the integration with Sony’s consumer products and experience design, you can see how this enhances the range, and requires skill and talent to deliver. The Android behind the scenes keynote is at 2pm.
They’re not going to stop there. Erik Hellman will then expand on the technical side of their Android design and development in the Design Track with Implementing Android: a manufacturers perspective. This in depth look at managing requirements and dealing with implementing a very open OS, will be truly fascinating. The current furore around Steve Jobs saying that Android isn’t really open, is a moot point. It is massively more open than anything the mobile industry has ever seen before. Now the nature of openness is inspiring unprecedented collaboration through APIs and honest presentations like this. We applaud our friends at Sony Ericsson for recognising how valuable this is to the ecosystem, and leading the way ahead.
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Thanks for that Dominic. See you there!
And for those who would like a quick reminder of the origins of the quote used in the title, I bring you this clip:
