IDF 2011: Intel and Google unite for future of Android

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Intel's dream of making it big in the smartphone space is not over yet, the chip giant vowed as it unveiled an Android-focused partnership with Google.

The two companies announced they would work closely together to ensure Android can take advantage of the features and functionality of Intel's Atom chips during CEO Paul Otellini's keynote speech at this week's Intel Developer Forum.

Despite MeeGo not panning out as planned though Otellini was keen to stress it is still being used in a variety of industries and situations so is far from dead Intel is hoping to steal a large chunk of the mobile pie.

Every time we've collaborated with Google good things have come out of it so I'm excited and have high expectations around this as well.

Indeed, Otellini said it's still early days for this segment so pole position is still up for grabs.

"You saw what happened, how fast Android took share from Apple Good products on good platforms can still really make a big difference," he said.

Android currently boasts just shy of 50 per cent market share, according to statistics from analyst firm Canalys.

"We're going to collaborate very closely to make sure that Android is optimised to the best it possibly can be for the Intel Architecture," said Andy Rubin, Google's senior vice president of mobile.

"Going forward, all future releases of Android will be optimised From the kernel taking advantage of memory management and all the great features of these low power IAs, all the way up to multimedia and 3D graphics. Everything that's part of the system on a chip today."

Maggie Holland

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999, starting her career as an editorial assistant on then-weekly magazine Computing, before working her way up to senior reporter level. In 2006, just weeks before ITPro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of ITPro, she was appointed group editor of CloudPro and ITPro in April 2012. She became the editorial director and took responsibility for ChannelPro, in 2016.

Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.