So much for the Google Phone. After months of speculation on the software company's major foray into the mobile space, Google's joint announcement today, alongside 33 other companies, puts to bed longstanding rumors about the company's release of a mobile handset hot on the heels of Apple's industry-shaking iPhone...at least for now.

However, the announcement is significant for the future of mobile communications. Google, alongside other industry heavy-hitters such as T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, and Motorola, has formed the Open Handset Alliance, which, "shares a common goal of fostering innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a far better user experience than much of what is available on today's mobile platforms," according to a joint release issued today.

Update: Check this Google Blog item by Andy Rubin, Director of Mobile Platforms, for more details on Google's Android strategy and the Open Handset Alliance.

The Alliance has been working together to create Android, described as "a fully integrated mobile 'software stack' that consists of an operating system, middleware, user-friendly interface and applications." The first phones to use the new platform are expected to become available is the second half of next year. In the meantime, the alliance is releasing the first early-access software development kit next week.

The Alliance is touting the flexibility of the platform, stating that it "will be made available under one of the most progressive, developer-friendly open-source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products." Handset manufacturers will be able to customize the platform for their devices as they see fit, allowing them to "build more compelling and user-friendly services, bringing the Internet developer model to the mobile space."

Google's chairman and CEO, Eric Schmidt, had this to say:

This partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world. A fresh approach to fostering innovation in the mobile industry will help shape a new computing environment that will change the way people access and share information in the future. Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models.

We'll have more information on the initiative as it develops.