Google today announced the Android Developer Challenge, which will provide $10 million to developers who build mobile applications for Android, the company's open mobile platform.

The Challenge is designed to support the developer community and spark innovation on the Android platform by awarding cash prizes ranging from $25,000 to $275,000 to developers whose applications are picked by a panel of judges.

"We've built some interesting applications for Android but the best applications are not here yet and that's because they're going to be written by developers," said Sergey Brin, Co-founder and President, Technology, Google. "We'd like to reward these developers and recognize them as much as possible."

Android was announced on November 5 by the Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile industry companies. Today, the Alliance released an early look at the Android software developer kit (SDK) that includes the documentation, sample projects, development tools, emulator, and libraries that developers will need to build an Android application. Today's Android SDK announcement can be found on the Alliance blog: http://android-developers.blogspot.com.

The $10 million total in the Android Developer Challenge will be distributed equally between the Android Developer Challenge I and II. Submissions for Challenge I will be accepted from January 2 through March 3, 2008, and the 50 most promising entries will be recognized by end of March with each receiving $25,000 awards to fund further development. These 50 entries will then be eligible for even greater recognition by applying by May 1, 2008 for ten awards worth $275,000 each and another ten worth $100,000 each. Recognition for the top apps among those entries will be announced by end of May 2008. Challenge II will launch after the first handsets built on the platform become available in the second half of 2008.

A panel of technology and mobile experts selected from the Open Handset Alliance member organizations and the industry in general will judge all qualifying entries.

Additional information about the Android Developer Challenge can be found at http://code.google.com/android/adc.html