The nation's fourth-largest carrier is known for making bold moves to keep up with larger rivals Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T), and being the first to put an open software platform on a device would be another feather in its cap. The proliferation of Android is significant to the wireless industry. Like the iPhone, it has the capability to change how the game is played between device manufacturers, applications developers, and carriers. Historically, those three factions have endured a love-hate relationship -- smiling and shaking hands publicly, but then accusing each other of asserting too much control behind closed doors. For its part, outsider Google hopes to give the industry more alternatives to Microsoft 's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Mobile or proprietary platforms such as Research In Motion 's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry line. For investors, the mix of new entrants into the mobile market makes for an interesting landscape of opportunities.