Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sony Ericsson boss says studying Android system

LUND, Sweden (Reuters) - Sony Ericsson is studying Google's Android mobile operating system, but was not able to embrace it yet, President Dick Komiyama said on Wednesday.
"We are certainly studying this opportunity, although we're not in a position to do this at this moment," Komiyama told journalists at a media event in the southern Swedish city of Lund, where the company has a research and development site.
"We should look at this application," he said. "We are certainly interested."
Android is an open source platform for designing mobile devices which Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) says will encourage innovation by allowing outside software developers to tinker with the system and create better mobile programs and services.
However, Komiyama said Sony Ericsson was already part of the Symbian Foundation, a group which since June has attracted some 40 companies and gives developers free access to its software.
Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile unveiled on Tuesday the first cellphone that uses Android software. The phone is being touted as Google's answer to the iPhone. The G1 phone, made by HTC Corp, has a touch-sensitive screen, a computer-like keyboard and Wi-Fi connections.