What Does Open Handset Alliance Mean?
The Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a business alliance that was created for the purpose of developing open mobile device standards. The OHA has approximately 80 member companies, including HTC, Dell, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm and Google. The OHA’s main product is the Android platform – the world’s most popular smartphone platform.
Techopedia Explains Open Handset Alliance
OHA members are primarily mobile operators, handset manufacturers, software development firms, semiconductor companies and commercialization companies. Members share a commitment to expanding the commercial viability of open platform development.
OHA member companies back the open platform concept for a number of reasons, as follows:
- Lower overall handset costs: Opens up resources, which facilitates the focus on creating innovative applications, solutions and services.
- Developer-friendly environment: In the open-source community, developers share notes to expedite application development.
- Post-development: Provides an ideal channel for application marketing and distribution.