OPEN

Google’s open standard for mobile (Android)will most likely take quite a while for its full effect to be felt, but some are already attributing big changes in the US mobile market to it.

Most notably, Verizon, a US mobile network among other things, announced last week that it would provide access to its network for devices not sold or supported by it directly. 

I’m not sure any telco would be able to move *that* quickly – although the wider trend towards open is certainly a factor, a trend that Android and Google are very much a part of.

Came across a nice insight into the team at Google working on mobile via John Battelle‘s blog.

Chris Sacca‘s post is interesting to me on a number of levels: it feels like a FAST strategy that has emerged as a major focus for the company, a strong expression of its vision (and a market-shaker for mobile). Well worth a read, but one paragraph that combines those elements for me reads:

The group is cooperatively managed by a handful of us as peers. Our meetings are open to any Googlers who want to contribute and our internal mailing list is available to any of our colleagues who want to subscribe. Our mission is ambitious, but clear: do what it takes to inspire or create a mobile ecosystem in the United States that will allow user choice to flourish and level the playing field for new applications and devices.

It’s the openness at the macro level (a corporate and a specific sector strategy) and micro levels (the way that openness works within the company to allow that team and its amazing projects emerge) that inspires me about this.

: : …for a strategic view on Google and mobile see, as ever, Umair Haque.

: : …for some practical analysis of the Verizon announcement in the telecom market GigaOm has it covered for you.