• Computer World et al., Wednesday, October 7, 2009 2:18 PM

On the heels of Google's far-reaching partnership with Verizon Wireless -- which has been lauded by the FCC Chair -- Gartner now predicts that the search giant's Android mobile operating system is poised to dominate the global smartphone market in just two years. That's right, by 2012, the research firm expects Android adoption to rocket from a 2% to 14% market share -- positioning it ahead of the iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones.

Why the huge Android surge? Simply by virtue of the fact that Google is backing the effort, which translates to a range of cloud computing functions and related applications that the notoriously ambitious company is expected to make available in coming years.

What about the fact that the first Android product release, the T-Mobile G1, received such a tepid response? Ancient history, according to Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney, who says Android's next version -- Android 1.5, or, um, Cupcake -- is far more advanced.

Android's application store and development environment will be "backed by the power of Google's search engine," Dulaney tells Computerworld, while, "Google's other up-and-coming consumer and enterprise products should make [Android] a dominant platform."

What's more, because Android and Google operate in an "integrative and open environment, [they] could easily top ... the singular Apple," Dulaney adds. Android will also run on phones from several manufacturers, helping its growth, especially when compared to the iPhone.

All told, Android is expected to ship on nearly 76 million units sold in 2012, according to Gartner. Coming in a close third, the iPhone will ship on 71.5 million devices, giving a 13.7% market share. Windows Mobile will come in fourth, with 66.8 million units sold, or 12.8% of the market, while BlackBerry OS will sell on 65.25 million devices, making it fifth with a 12.5% market share.

If Gartner is correct, Adroid will only trail Symbian OS, which is used in Nokia devices that remain highly popular in Europe and many countries outside the U.S. Symbian presently runs on about half of all smartphones, but will fall to 39% in 2012, Gartner says.

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