Android, the smartphone operating system that emerged almost from nowhere as a rival to Apple’s iOS, is perhaps the best known example of “open innovation”. Others are Linux, the software platform to which Android owes so much, and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. But, while Linux and Wikipedia can be seen as groups of community-minded technologists, Android is at the heart of one of the most intensely-fought battles in contemporary business. Essentially, all smartphones run on either iOS or Android.
