Android™ is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel. It was initially developed by Google and later the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed code in the Java language, controlling the device via Google-developed Java libraries.

The unveiling of the Android™ distribution on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 50 hardware, software, and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google released most of the Android™ code under the Apache License, a free software and open source license.

Company developer: Open Handset Alliance
Working state: Current
Initial release: 2008-10-21
Latest stable release Android 2.0, Release 1 (2009-10-27)
Supported platforms: ARM, MIPS, Power Architecture, x86
Kernel type: Monolithic (Linux)
License: Apache 2.0 and GPLv2
Official Website: www.android.com