Google Results: Maps, Apps, Voice and Music - Wall Street Journal

By AMIR EFRATI Google Inc. on Wednesday said more than 900 million devices powered by its Android mobile operating system had been activated world-wide, up from 400 million a year ago and 100 million two years ago. Hugo Barra, an executive of Google's Android unit, said during the company's annual conference for developers in San Francisco that the revenue generated per Android user, including through mobile-app purchases, rose 150% over the past year, though he didn't discuss specific numbers. Dozens of hardware manufacturers use Android to power smartphones and tablets, which come preloaded with Google's revenue generating services such as Web search, YouTube and Google Maps, among others. In terms of market share, Android is the No. 1 operating system for smartphones, having eclipsed Apple Inc.'s iPhone in recent years. In the first quarter, Android-powered tablets jumped over Apple's iPad for the first time, according to IDC. The company in its presentation for app developers also announced a mobile app store for educators, a move designed to increase the use of Android devices in the classroom. Google said the app store, part of its broader Google Play digital media and app store, will launch in the fall. The "Google Play for Education" store will feature apps tailored to children, such as those that teach them mathematical skills. Teachers will be able to download an app and instantly make it available on other Android-powered devices in the classroom, said Chris Yerga, an Android executive. Google has been selling devices powered by its Chrome operating system to schools world-wide. The company didn't announce a similar initiative to sell Android-powered devices to schools. Both Chrome and Android devices feature Google's suite of online software called Google Apps, which includes word-processing and collaboration tools, a rival to Microsoft Corp.'s Office. Google Apps can be accessed from any Web-connected PC or mobile device. Sundar Pichai, who runs Chrome and Android at Google, said administrators of 74 of the top 100 U.S. universities use Google Apps, including seven Ivy League schools. "The momentum has been incredible," he said. Google Apps, which is free for individuals but is accessed for a fee by businesses, is a roughly $1 billion-per-year business at Google, people familiar with the matter have said. There are more than 750 million active users of its Chrome Web browser, up from 450 million a year ago, the company said Wednesday. Mr. Pichai said it is the "most popular browser used today in the world," though some research firms say Chrome is still behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer in terms of market share. Chrome comes preloaded with Google's revenue-generating Web-search engine. In addition to being a Web browser, Chrome also has been turned into an operating system for laptops and mobile devices, though it has a minuscule market share, according to many research firms. Google has declined to say how many Chrome-based devices have been sold to date. Write to Amir Efrati at amir.efrati@wsj.com via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNG5m_BtE9032zxw6NkUCky34Yy1XQ&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578485082041136830.html

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