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Sprint's Open Developer Conference this week has been overshadowed by Verizon's succession of Android and open access moves, but the US' third cellco tried to grab back some of the initiative, reminding us in successive presentations that it had committed to open applications, and worked closely with Google, well before its larger CDMA rival. It put more flesh on its 'openness' strategy, promising a reworking of its app store and a 'garage' in which developers would be encouraged to create innovative products, for open standards, not just the Sprint network.

This is an approach that is becoming the mantra for next generation mobile web providers but in which Sprint was, indeed, an early mover, at least stateside. Many of its early efforts were focused on its WiMAX-based mobile broadband initiative, Xohm, now part of its Clearwire joint venture - where it could experiment with new approaches while keeping the core CDMA business shielded from any risks. It worked closely with Google on user interfaces and apps for Xohm, and the search giant is an investor in Clearwire, and is now looking to bring some of the same ideas to CDMA.

In a keynote at the developer summit, Sprint's president of network operations and wholesale, Steve Elfman, said that consumers should determine which apps were the winners by "a kind of natural selection", not the carrier or device maker. He said Sprint was committed to the open internet model and would encourage the creation of attractive new services for the whole mobile web in its 'garage' initiative - somewhat like the developer sandbox created by Clearwire, in that it is following open web principles, but testing the results on a specific network.

Sprint added to the sense that this was a turning point week for Google in mobile. As well as major endorsements from Verizon Wireless and Orange, the search leader was center stage in the Sprint event too. The carrier said in statements and numerous addresses that it would encourage tight integration of Google services in order to improve the user experience and attract consumers to its network, lured by familiar apps and strong usability. This suggests that Sprint's web experience, as it evolves, will be more directly 'Google-fied' than Verizon's - although the larger operator is partnering with Google on devices for its own branded offerings, and has made a strong commitment to Android, it aims to create a unique user platform geared to its own apps and the JIL widget framework (codeveloped with Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank).

Ironically, despite its closeness to Google, Sprint has been more reticent about launching Android phones, claiming the OS was not ready for prime time until recently. However, it will soon launch its first Android phone, its own version of the HTC Hero, and Android was a hot topic at the conference. Elfman said: "In the old PC days, Apple came out with a vertically integrated computer that was great but was a niche product, while Windows became the operating system for all manufacturers to build on. I think Android has the opportunity to be the Windows of 2010 and beyond."

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