The sale and popularity of smartphones running on the Android operating system is expected to explode in 2011, driven by better networks and improved — and cheaper — handsets, industry experts are predicting.
The growth is already evidenced in numbers, as according to research firm IDC, Android-based phones sales have spiked 55 percent year-over-year, since 2009. The agency said there have been close to 297 million phones sold this year, versus the approximately 174 million sold in 2009.
“In 2011, we might see half a billion phones sold worldwide. Smartphones will likely blow by traditional computers next year as the way most of the world gains access to the Internet,” According to Fortune magazine’s most recent edition.
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
“Through this alliance with the [Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida (PRCCCF)], the [Economic Development Bank (EDB)] will offer financing services of up to $1 million to companies referred to by the PRCCCF.
“This alliance represents a unique opportunity to promote business activity and economic development in Puerto Rico, while strengthening ties between the Puerto Rican diaspora and the island.
“The EDB and the PRCCCF are committed to working hand in hand to provide the necessary support to entrepreneurs who wish to contribute to the growth and prosperity of Puerto Rico.”
— Luis Alemañy-González, president of Puerto Rico’s Economic Development Bank (EDB)