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It's not a Google phone, per se, but the search engine and Internet technology giant is making good on its expected launch of a wide-ranging mobile phone initiative, today joining a group of big-name partners to announce an open software platform for mobile phones.

Today's debut of Android, a software platform for the development of mobile applications, comes officially under the auspices of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). In addition to Google, OHA membership includes major mobile telephony companies, semiconductor manufacturers, and mobile handset players.

Executives from Google, Qualcomm, T-Mobile Motorola and Taiwan's HTC detailed OHA's plans in a conference call this morning. They said they expect the first phones using the new software won't be available until the second half of 2008, but a software development kit for Android will be released Nov. 12.

Android, which consists of an integrated software stack including operating system, middleware, user interface and applications, will be made available "under one of the most progressive, developer-friendly open source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products," according to the group. Google acquired Android in 2004.

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