A week after announcing plans to open up its network to developers, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam tells BusinessWeek that the company will be supporting Google's mobile operating system, Android. This confirms previous speculation that Verizon would link up with Google, and throws even more support behind the initiative, which already includes T-Mobile and Sprint as announced partners.
[img src="" caption="" credit="" alt=""]According to BusinessWeek, Verizon did not initially join up as a launch partner in order to give their developers time to take a look at the actual nuts and bolts of Android. The company came away impressed, and the closer examination of the code actually fueled the move to open up according to McAdam. So much for Steve Ballmer's comments that Android was "just a press release."
With Verizon's move, AT&T becomes the only major US carrier that has not yet announced plans to support Android. With the variety of devices and applications the OS will eventually allow the other carriers to offer, it seems like AT&T will ultimately have its hand forced in joining the alliance. The longer they wait, the further behind they will be when devices and apps start making their way to the public next year.