If you're trying to decide which -- if any -- phone platform your IT  department will support, Google's open-source Android is likely moving into your sights very quickly. A key reason is that the Android Market now has a critical mass of third-party applications.
While there are new estimates by industry observers that the market has collected more than 20,000 apps in five months, Google says the number is closer to 16,000. Whatever the figure, the market is clearly booming.
The Android Market, the online store for the platform's mobile applications, is still only about 20 percent the size of the industry leader, Apple's App Store. Apple's and Google's stores are both under two years old, although Apple's is older by a few months.
50,000 By Next Year?
But even at the lower number from Google, the market's estimated current number of application offerings is a substantial increase from the 12,000 apps reported in November.
Some industry observers are predicting the market will reach about 50,000 apps next year, while Apple's App Store hits about 300,000. Increasingly, mobile platforms are becoming vehicles for applications, as computers have long been, and the number and kinds of apps become key selling points for businesses as well as consumers.
The third-party developers who are creating the applications are driven by the growth in the number of devices, as well as by the tools and capabilities for the Android platform.
The recent launch of Motorola's Droid through Verizon Wireless, for instance, has resulted in favorable reviews, high visibility for Android, and sales expectations of a million units by the end of this year. Other Android-based models have also been released, such as the HTC Hero, and at least a dozen additional models are expected within a few months.
'In the Top Two Platforms'
Google is also expected to directly get into this game next year, with the launch of the Nexus One. The Nexus could greatly increase the appeal of the platform if, as some news reports indicate, it is sold directly to consumers as an unlocked device, with owners then picking their carrier.
Al Hilwa, program director for IDC, said the number of apps in the Android Market is one of a number of factors indicating that the platform "is shaping up to be in the top two platforms" for consumers, along with the iPhone.
Windows Mobile devices and Research in Motion's BlackBerry are popular in many business environments. But Hilwa noted that, increasingly, the market for smartphones is consumer-driven, even in businesses, where employees want to use the devices with the most flexibility in features.
Practically speaking, Hilwa said, any of the application marketplaces become a viable source of "meaningful applications" after growing beyond "a few thousand."
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