The Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which oversees the Google-sponsored Android mobile Linux specification, has added 14 members. New members include AKM Semiconductor, ARM, ASUSTek Computer (Asus), Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin International, Huawei Technologies, Omron Software,… Softbank Mobile, Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba, and Vodafone.

Android inside: Kogan Agora (Click for details)

While the rival LiMo Foundation has made several membership announcements over the last year, this appears to be the first expansion of the OHA since the original Android announcement over a year ago when it announced 33 members, including the head honcho, Google. The open source Android 1.0 spec was formally released by the OHA and Google's Android team in October in conjunction with the retail launch of the first Android phone, the HTC G1 (pictured above). Since then, several other Android phones have been announced, including Kogan's Kogan Agora (pictured at right) but the G1 and its hardware- and SIM-unlocked cousin, the Dev Phone 1, are still the only phones currently available.

According to the OHA, the new members will “deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services.” The new mobile operators on the list include Symbian Foundation member Vodafone, which claims to have “280 million proportionate customers,” as well as SoftBank Mobile, Japan's number three mobile operator. SoftBank has over 19 million customers, and has supported Linux in the past with the help of Mobile Java specialist Aplix.

New handset manufacturers include Asus, Huawei, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba, with Sony Ericcson being the biggest coup for OHA. The company has been a staunch Symbian supporter, but has recently branched out with its Windows Mobile-based Xperia phone. Of the new handset vendors, all but Toshiba used the occasion to announce they would be developing Android phones.

Nuvi 880 (Click for details)

One other intriguing member is Garmin, which has been revealed as a secret Linux lover with popular low-cost in-car navigation units such as the Nuvi 880 (pictured). Could the GPS- and Google Maps-focused Android be coming to a wide-area network-connected Nuvi near you?

Stated HC Hung, GM of Personal Mobile Device, BU, Asus, “ASUS will soon deliver Android devices and technology.”

Stated Rikko Sakaguchi, CVP and head of Creation and Development, Sony Ericsson, “Sony Ericsson is excited to confirm its intention to develop a handset based on the Android platform.”

Stated Ian Drew, VP of Marketing, ARM, “ARM is very pleased to contribute ARM's OpenMax DL libraries and insight on the ARM architecture to the Android Open Source Project.”

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.