Open Handset Alliance Adds 14 New Members

It's a big day for the Open Handset Alliance as they officially add their first members since last year's launch. Picking up 14 new members today, the OHA looks to be even more robust than before.

Joining the founding 34 members are: AKM Semiconductor Inc., ARM, ASUSTek Computer Inc., Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin International Inc., Huawei Technologies, Omron Software Co. Ltd, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba Corporation and Vodafone.

Taking a quick look through this list and you get a sense that the platform is looking more and more viable and not confined to cell phones. We've been saying for over a year now that Android is going to be everywhere. Cell phones is the beginning. Look for devices like GPS, set-top boxes, netbooks, and mobile internet devices (MID's) running Android over the next year.

New members will either deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices.

The new members will add to the momentum of Android device availability, providing developers with an even greater opportunity to deploy compelling applications that will reach a global audience. As a result, consumers around the world benefit from a superior mobile experience that features less expensive devices, more compelling services, rich Internet applications, and easier-to-use interfaces.

Welcome to the Alliance guys!  We'll be keeping any eye on you all!