Android might have the edge on iOS when it comes to sheer market share now, but Google's platform remains in the shadow of its great rival in terms of the size of its app marketplace.

Android Market, though in no way minuscule, is yet to arouse the same kind of mass support as the App Store.

Yet, if the prospect of targeting multiple platforms at once was dangled in front of most developers' eyes, chances are they'd be a touch more enthusiastic.

Alien Android

That's exactly what the bizarrely named Alien Dalvik from software specialist Myriad claims to do, enabling consumers to run Android apps on non-Android platforms without any loss in performance.

Set to be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week running on the Nokia N900, Myriad states its software is compatible with the majority of Android apps currently on the market.

The titles themselves appear alongside native apps designed for the platform in question, delivering what the firm states is a seamless user experience as the technology simply repackaging Android Package (APK) files.

"The proliferation of Android has been staggering, but there is still room for growth," said Myriad CEO Simon Wilkinson.

"By extending Android to other platforms, we are opening up the market even further, creating new audiences and revenue opportunities."

Partnership power?

Myriad states Alien Dalvik will launch on MeeGo first, rolling out on other unannounced platforms thereafter.

Rather than going it alone, however, the firm's press blitz suggests it's looking to tap up partnerships with carriers and OEMs, no doubt intent on pre-installing the software on handsets to help bypass any potential consumer confusion.

In this context, it's not clear whether the technology will have to be pre-installed on a device, or whether it will be available as a general download for consumers to access themselves. 

[source: Myriad]