Well, we've done it. We've published our definitive Google Android Ecosystem report -- all 35 pages of it. I've been working closely with independent analyst Randy Giusto for about 3 months now. It's been a lot of work, but the report is done, and it's ready to be purchased at our Research Store (break out the plastic!). If you want the Cliff's Notes, basically what we found was that Google Android adoption is accelerating in the developer community, and the operating system (OS) is likely to take off in late 2010 and early 2011. Because Android is an open-source, unlocked OS model, it could precipitate a sea change in the way that smartphones and applications are marketed in the mobile marketplace. Another important finding is that dozens of Android-based devices are in development and will start shipping toward the latter half of this year. That will swing the mobile "buzz" back toward Android -- ending the solitary rule of iPhone in the marketing department. It's likely that Android will quickly become the number two operating system behind iPhone in terms of user excitement and adoption. The move toward Android will present an entirely new set of questions for mobile service providers and device makers alike: Can the existing business model of subsidized phones continue? In Europe, for example, unlocked phones are interchangeable between carriers but users pay full price for the phones. Because Android is pushing the world toward an unlocked, open, world, it's likely to bring about enormous challenges for service providers who are used to having more control. For more information, you'll have to purchase and read the report in entirety. Here are some of the questions that it answers:

• How Google Android will change the mobile operating system market forever
• Which hardware manufacturers are readying Android devices
• What the impact will be for application developers.

The report, which will be regularly priced at $1,500, is available now for a special discounted price of $1,250 (17% off). It is available at http://www.raynoreport.com/shop.

Chetan Sharma Consulting is out with an report on the mobile apps market, which says that mobile apps downloads are expected to go from 7 billion in 2009 to 50 billion by 2012, growing at a rate of 92% CAGR. Chetan Sharma says this will create a $17.5 billion market by 2012. Chetan Sharma looked at the growth of ondeck (offered on carrier deck), offdeck (outside the carrier), smartphones, featurephones, paid, free, and advertising based (including virtual goods) apps revenue. It calculated the growth in the five major regions: North American, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It then looked at smartphone and subscriber growth, looked at who is downloading mobile apps, and estimated how apps downloads are likley to grow over time. The report says that in 2009, the total number of apps downloads were about 7 billion, with Asia leading growth at 37% of downloads. By 2012, the number of downloads are exptected to growth to 50 billion per year. The main driver of apps growth will be wider adoption of "featurephones" and smartphones. However, Chetan Sharma also observes that the revenue models associated with apps are changing. For example, in 2009, advertising contributed almost 12% to overall apps revenue. This share is expected to more than double by 2012 to almost 28%, according to the report. You can read the whole report here.