Motorola has announced that it is launching MOTODEV, a set of development tools for Android that will provide early access to Google Android developer tools, pre-release access to Motorola devices for testing, and a private online community of support. The announcement reaffirms Motorola's commitment to begin shipping devices that utilize Google's mobile operating system.

The announcement also makes mention of giving developers the option of releasing applications through "a variety of channels", which include a carrier store. Motorola had not previously announced that it will offer Android apps through its own online marketplace. Participating developers, which will be chosen by Motorola, will also receive invitations to Motorola's MOTODEV summit, a one-day conference to bring together developers.

Back in February Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha said that the company will focus on handsets powered by Android and in April the company said that it plans to release Android-powered devices by the fourth quarter of this year.

Developers can find more information about Motorola's Android development program at the MOTODEV website.