2010 in Review: That Was the Year That Was (
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The start of the second
decade of the 21st century found a world with an economy frozen in
the depths of recession, with tech companies struggling to stay afloat, and
with the IT business facing too much supply and not enough demand. But even as
the snows of the east melted, products and technologies that had started to
stir in the previous year were now shaking themselves free of recession’s icy
grip and beginning to bloom.
Perhaps the biggest of the
year’s surprises was Android. “I think the biggest story of the year is the
explosive growth of Google Android market share in the smartphone market,” said
eWEEK’s John Pallatto, managing editor for news on the West Coast. “It went
from virtually a standing start in late 2009 to a 19 percent market share in
the third quarter of 2010.”
Android, Google’s mobile
operating system, is loosely based on Linux and Java, and is also notable for
being largely cloud based. Many of the core Google apps are cloud apps that
depend on a high-speed link to Google’s servers.
The dramatic growth of
Android was part of a larger movement involving the consumerization of
information technology. In addition to the ubiquitous Android devices, there
were iPads, iPhones and other personal devices creating challenges for the IT
department, which needed to support these devices while also maintaining the
security of the enterprise.
“Gartner said smartphones
grew 96 percent this year,” said Michelle Maisto, an eWEEK senior writer who
covers wireless as one of her beats. “Prices are getting lower, and that puts
pressure on the carriers to get 4G networks running.”
Maisto agreed that the
rise of Android has been a huge event this year. “It leapt over the iPhone and
RIM,” she pointed out. “It’s up to 25 to 26 percent market share, and a year
ago no one could have predicted that. For that to have happened so fast is
interesting, especially in the bad economy.”
Maisto also noted that the
wireless industry was showing strong growth in all areas. She noted that in
addition to smartphones, there was a similar explosion in tablet use.
“Everyone is falling
behind Apple,” Maisto said. “I’m skeptical: I’m not sure there’s any huge need
for tablets, and I don’t know what people are actually doing with them.”
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