It had become popular in the mainstream media to popularize the "dying" of Microsoft. This is absurd. What is common with a "dying" company is a deterioration of its financial position and diminishing assets. Microsoft is a money machine.

I'm not saying that Microsoft does not have challenges. I'm just saying that the negative sentiment against the company does not reflect certain business fundamentals.

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.