Finally, we can cool down. The long-awaited Google phone everyone heard about but which nobody saw, proved to be in fact an operating system. Those who expected Google to pull out of its hat a gadget cooler than the iPhone will most certainly be disappointed. ‘What? Google will not launch a handset which scans thoughts and takes us where we want?’

Well, that’s right, they won’t. Instead of handsets, Google launches software applications. These will be able to make phones do the same things that we can now do on the Internet. ‘So what?’ gadget lovers will say, whose hearts pounce only to specifications such as screen size, memory capacity, integrated multimedia player, Megapixels by the phone’s camera.

Today’s announcement is the dawn of a new era but also a repeat of past history. Google proves that it not only understood where the technology evolution is heading to, but also that it did its history homework. In a world where mobile phones became more important than PCs or laptops (how many of us leave home with our laptops and how many have their phones less than 1 yard away?) Google proves it understood that whoever controls the software is more powerful than the hardware maker. Microsoft is the best example to illustrate this theory.

Just as decades ago Microsoft was appealing to hardware makers to impose its operating system, now it seems that Google is trying to do the same with mobile phones. An alliance of 34 members will do their best to promote the Android, or whatever its final name will be. The best phone makers have joined Google, which will ensure that the first handsets will certainly be successful enough to make a bigger bang than the iPhone did.

"This partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world," said Google Chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt in a statement. "A fresh approach to fostering innovation in the mobile industry will help shape a new computing environment that will change the way people access and share information in the future."

As you might know it already, Google is already collaborating with Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG  to created the handsets. There are also some telecom companies involved in the project China Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telefonica in Spain and Deutsche Telekom.

Google is adding also to the mix key applications. Apart from the operating system, it is offering an Internet browser designed for mobility, a calendar, an address book, maps, e-mail and access to Google's online payments system, which can be used to buy things via phones.

"Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single Google Phone that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks," said Mr Schmidt. "Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models."

Quite obviously, Google will have to face much harsher competition that Microsoft did decades ago. But everything is possible, and if in a few years 90 percent of mobile phones will run Android, don’t say nobody told you so.