When I say
the Android Army is coming, it's not just an empty
metaphor. The mobile communications platform that
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) built is coming soon to
a battlefield near you, courtesy of defense contractor
Raytheon (NYSE: RTN).
Raytheon has introduced its new Raytheon Android Tactical
System, or RATS for short. It's a combination of specialized
servers and
Android-based mobile devices, giving our soldiers a handy
and secure way to share information on the battlefield. The
system uses "specific information channels" to transmit
video, text, images, and voice data to and from soldiers in
the field, but can also fall back on standard 3G mobile
networks in a pinch. "The device provides the warfighter the
ability to make decisions in seconds and minutes, rather than
hours," according to Raytheon's press release. Sounds
valuable to me.
I'm not surprised to see the Android in a battlefield
application. Google seems to have shorter lines of
communication with other defense contractors, like
Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) and
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), through the
Santa Fe InstituteBusiness Network, of which Raytheon is
not a member. But Google welcomes any respectable partner
with open arms -- and here's why.
The RATS system illustrates why
the Android Army looks poised to displacethe
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone in the long run.
While the iPhone platform surely could be adapted to other
uses than super-stylish, easy-to-use consumer handsets, Apple
is choosing to go after that very specific market on its
own.
By contrast, Google is building a wide-ranging network of
partners in hardware, software, and services, and there will
soon be Androids all around us. Big names like
Samsung and
Motorola (NYSE: MOT) are in on the Android
already. Apple will almost surely never make an Android
phone, and
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) might stick to its own guns
too. These guys have their own software platforms to promote,
develop, and control. But I couldn't name one
software-agnostic cell phone designer that doesn't have
plans to build Android phonesin the near future. Just
this morning, initial reports surfaced that holdout Sony
Ericsson is readying an Android phone for a Nov. 3 product
launch. And as you can see from the Raytheon system, the open
standards of the Android open up a universe of unexpected
markets.
Apple is not Google's enemy, though. The companies still
share a relationship that's surprisingly
cozy for two companies whose products are increasingly coming
into competition. For example, Google is the default search
engine in the iPhone's Safari browser. The more people browse
the Web on their iPhones, the happier and richer Google gets.
Google's Android Army comes in peace; Big G just wants
everyone to use the Web more, and a plethora of Androids will
ensure that everyone who wants a Web-capable phone can find
one. And that includes our brave soldiers in active duty, if
Uncle Sam likes what Raytheon is selling.
The mobile space is heating up. Leave a line below and let
us know which stocks in this booming market pique your
investing interest!
This article was originally published as
Androids: Coming Soon to a Battlefield Near Youon
Fool.com
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