According to this article found at Computerworld, it looks like Motorola has been purchased by Google!! What will this mean for Windows Phone 7? Nothing good, that is for sure!! Not only does it add a powerful developing market to Android but it isn’t likely we will see any Windows devices coming from Motorola either.
Motorola has been viewed as one of Microsoft’s saviors in the Window Phone 7′s development area and this could be a huge hit to Microsoft. With Motorola out of the loop (at least partially if not totally) Nokia will be the big developer for Windows Phone 7. Some experts are forecasting Android and iOS to be the long-term survivors while Windows Phone, Blackberry, and HP’s WebOS will fade away eventually. Before this it was optomistic Windows Phone would survive as well, but it will be an even tougher road now. (a great write-up can be found here)
Now….it is important to remember that it isn’t finalized yet and Google is not looking to create a ‘Google-made’ device like the iPhone. They want to run Motorola as a company unto itself, incorporating Android into a lot of devices but not having one corporation take over the other. (more details here)
What do you guys think? Will this create a powerhouse Android world that will threaten even the i-world? What will become of Windows Phone? Will it survive?
Source: Computerworld USA Today
© 2011, syrguy1969. All rights reserved.
You may want to correct this, as the entire article is quoting whom Google bought incorrectly. Motorola wasn’t purchased by Google. They actually purchased Motorola Mobility.
This was just a business unit that they decided to get out of, so they could focus more on their core products, while at the same time, getting the Motorola Mobility brand into the hands of a company that can run with it (and their patents).
Motorola makes far more than just phones
^ Right, it is mostly about patents. Google does not intend to treat Moto Mobility as an in house phone manufacturer, and even admitted that Nexus phones won’t necessarily be Moto from now on… they did it to have counter-suit threats to protect Android from these silly legal battles going on left and right.
There’s a great explanation of the ramifications of this whole purchase here:
http://techcitement.com/mobile/google-motorola-what-does-it-all-mean/
In that article, you’ll notice Nokia’s stock went UP, since they are now poised with their hefty amount of patents and MS partnership, to be worth more than recently thought.
Also, do you really have to quote “computerworld” for this information??
It was all over the press today, and even Google’s own blog:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/supercharging-android-google-to-acquire.html?m=1
I believe this purchase says a lot about how big of a player Microsoft still is in the mobile arena. It put enough pressure on Google (through litigation) to make it buy out a major patent company outright.
However, I also think that buying out MMHI (Moto Mobility) outright was the lesser of two evils. On one side, it may prevent certain lawsuits by Apple and Microsoft against some of Android OEMs (as well as lawsuits from MMHI against the other OEMs), but on the other, because of the outright buying of MMHI, other OEMs will be supporting their direct competition with every sale of an Android phone. If I were an executive of a company, I know I wouldn’t want to support a product that will keep a competitor alive. Microsoft chose the right path when I stopped at deal-making with Nokia. Although it gives Nokia an advantage against other OEMs, it also helps other OEMs by providing better services for their WP7 products (whose revenue will not go toward Nokia).
@Judge_Daniel, …Microsoft chose the right path when it stopped at deal-making with Nokia… #correction
@Judge_Daniel, Google and Motorola do not share revenue.Google will just own the most shares in Motorola, the doesn’t mean they will do anything with motorola..they are their own separate company…Think similar to clearwire and sprint..while sprint controls a lot of clearwire..clearwire still can sue sprint and stuff like that..
@gTen, I think you underestimate Google’s influence and impact on Motorola over the long term.
@Judge_Daniel, I think you’re right. I think Microsoft is seen as a signficant threat which is why Google is going after a strong patent portfolio to defend against Microsoft’s patent lawsuit initiative.
Microsoft over the years has historically disliked patent suits and is far more often on the wrong end of patent lawsuits. In every case of them taking on a competitor, it has been a “sure thing” that was ultimately settled out of court through licensing deals.
@GoodThings2Life, I understand the implications..but manufacturers can fork Android in worst case…but as I said earlier..Google will make more profit staying neutral then favoring Motorola..at the end of the day, its about making money..and they will choose what makes them the most money.. aiming for Motorola’s 25% profit margins is counter productive as Google earns 60%+ profit margins…the purchase is all about the patents…
With all the patent suing that has been going on, I think google had no choice but to buy motorola mobility. By owning these patents if apple or microsoft come after them, then google (hopefully) will have some patents that are being infringed on by the apple or microsoft and sue back. This will hopefully keep everyone from suing each other and so much money paid to lawyers that increase prices to consumers.
Google buying Motorola Mobility means bad and good news to Microsoft.
Bad news because Motorola Mobility could adopt Windows Phone as another OS in a near future, just like HTC and Samsung has Android and Windows Phone, but now that Google has MM, this means that they are going to release only Android phones.
Good news because this could cause Google’s customers like HTC, Samsung and even LG to adopt more the Windows Phone as they see that MM will have the preference of Google in new upcoming releases.
So either way, I’m looking forward to what will happen with this new deal.
This article is so blatantly pro-Android it should be classified as Op-Ed instead of News. But nevermind that now…
The real reason for this acquisition, takeover, however it is characterized is patents. Lots and lots of patents. Motorola has lots of them, and Google wants control of them, because a) it’s genuinely annoyed and threatened by Microsoft’s patent licensing deals with Google’s carriers, and b) it’s genuinely threatened by the coalition of companies that invested in all the cross-licensed Nortel patents.
They know they have a giant target painted on them, and this is purely an effort try to hide. Too bad that most lawsuits are based on the situation at the time of filing.
@GoodThings2Life, and PS… I’m sorry, could someone please point me to where Motorola has been seen as a WP7 savior? I haven’t seen a single WP7 device, and their WM6 devices were always pretty weak.
@GoodThings2Life, Well there is no WP7 devices from the company, the world saw Motorola as another potential WP7 customer, not as a savior, besides all WM6 devices from any company were terrible, lol.
@GoodThings2Life, I think this was so intended as a pro-Android article…at least to the degree as it ended. I think the author just didn’t think of all of the repercussions before posting the news. I mean, Google + MMHI does sound pretty sweet. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt, since he or she was probably just rushing to get something out quickly (old news isn’t news, after all).
@Judge_Daniel,
“I don’t think this was intended as a pro-Android article…at least to the degree as it ended up being…” #correction
Sorry, I need to start reading through my posts before submitting.
Is anyone else concerned that this may be a conflict of interest? With Google’s purchase they now have a vested interest in the success of Motorola Mobility. I’m left wondering how this will affect other OEM’s like HTC and Samsung.
@ill3nium, Actually its the opposite..in this deal Google may end up neglecting Motorola to try keep all their OEMs happy as Google earns higher profit margins from its OEMs then it does from Motorola.
So in the end this may end up really bad for Motorola…
“I don’t think this was intended as a pro-Android article…” #correction
Sorry, I should start reading through my posts before submitting.
Interesting. I didn’t even know that Microsoft was still trying to sell their “Windows Mobile 7″ crap. Either way, they’ll still be no match for Android – with or without Motorola.
- 2 Bunny