Google acquires Motorola

Google is buying Motorola for $12.5bn:

Official Google Blog: Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

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Everyone

Wow.

I worked for Motorola at their Harvard IL plant for a whole month when I was 17. I assembled the old Star-Tac and V series cell phones. Apparently you had to be 18 to work in a factory, and it took them a month to realize they hired me by mistake. I had no idea, and did not lie about my age, they just didn't catch it during the hiring process, which included a 3 hour exam.

That plant closed down years ago from what I heard. There's still one in Schaumburg IL, I wonder if that will become a Google facility now (I can't remember what Motorola does at the Schaumburg location).

kevozz

Cool! Now if we can convince Google to buy T-Mobile.

petedude

kevozz wrote: »

Cool! Now if we can convince Google to buy T-Mobile.

That would be sweet.

I wonder if this is a move to bait the litigators into coming directly after Google, or if Google is planning to de-emphasize Android licensing and emphasize their own "proprietary" device (aka Apple). Maybe some of both.

ehnde

Motorola is a huge company. They do waaaaaay more than just cell phones.

Lizano

ehnde wrote: »

Motorola is a huge company. They do waaaaaay more than just cell phones.

From what I understand, it is merely the cell phone division that has been sold. That division has been up for grabs for years now. The rumors of Motorola selling that division came out a short while after Iron Man 2 was released and they had invested a lot money in presence in the movie, and their sales didnt respond.

demonfurbie

i, for one, welcome our new google overloads .... ALL HAIL GOOGLE

chrisone

kevozz wrote: »

Cool! Now if we can convince Google to buy T-Mobile.

Didnt AT&T already buy T-Mobile?

AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion (update) -- Engadget

Anyways the purchase Google made is a serious step for them to be in control of the android market. It is very smart to get your OS and build your reputation using the hardware of others and once your big and reliable enough, build your own hardware lol

demonfurbie

now google needs to buy htc

they make better droid phones than moto, or at least i think they do

petedude

ehnde wrote: »

Motorola is a huge company. They do waaaaaay more than just cell phones.

This is just an acquisition of the Mobility business unit, which was spun off the big monster you know of Motorola like, a year or so ago.

It's funny-- for all of their tech savvy and leadership on quality controls such as Six Sigma, Motorola ultimately couldn't figure out how to operate their cell division well. But then, not every large tech company does as well as Apple when it comes to venturing into consumer electronics.

petedude

demonfurbie wrote: »

now google needs to buy htc

they make better droid phones than moto, or at least i think they do

HTC phones are more intriguing, but Google would be buying themselves right into a stack of lawsuits-- IIRC, both Apple and M$ are litigating against HTC. Google is so big such a move wouldn't be suicidal, but it sure would be painful.

Bl8ckr0uter

chrisone wrote: »

Didnt AT&T already buy T-Mobile?

AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion (update) -- Engadget

l

It isn't final yet and it may never go through.

shaqazoolu

I think Motorola's patent portfolio is probably the biggest thing Google was after. While I think it would be neat if they started making their own devices like Apple, I question whether or not that would go over well with Samsung, who currently makes the official "Google phone" (Nexus).

it_consultant

Now Microsoft should buy Nokia.

GAngel

it_consultant wrote: »

Now Microsoft should buy Nokia.

MS doesn't need Nokia they already have access to there patents. And cell phone hardware is not part of MS's core products. Google is going after motorola for the patents. The hardware side of motorola is not a part of googles core platform either which is why the markets are hitting the shares lower. It's an attempt to stave off apple and co from going after android phone makers that's all. They didn't have many options after they lost the nortel bid.

They're already in antitrust territory this certainly won't help.

NightShade03

demonfurbie wrote: »

i, for one, welcome our new google overloads .... ALL HAIL GOOGLE

Yes indeed lol

it_consultant

GAngel wrote: »

MS doesn't need Nokia they already have access to there patents. And cell phone hardware is not part of MS's core products. Google is going after motorola for the patents. The hardware side of motorola is not a part of googles core platform either which is why the markets are hitting the shares lower. It's an attempt to stave off apple and co from going after android phone makers that's all. They didn't have many options after they lost the nortel bid.

They're already in antitrust territory this certainly won't help.

I see this the exact opposite, MS will not thrive as a company if they don't rapidly expand their mobile market segment. PC sales are down and are not projected to rebound any time soon due to the pressures of iPads and mobile devices. They are basically subsidizing the Bing search engine at this point. If they don't acquire a manufacturer while they still have the capital, they will be a second rate player to Google and Apple.

Webmaster

Google made clear they want to continue running Motorola as a separate company but that's probably part of the agreement because you don't sell a company/brand like Motorola just for the patents even if the reason for buying it obviously is.

GAngel wrote: »

MS doesn't need Nokia they already have access to there patents.

According to some that might be the only reason Microsoft might buy Nokia eventually - to ensure they keep access which might be at risk if some other company buys Nokia. But I agree, they don't need to buy Nokia, besides that it would be odd and unlike Microsoft to buy a mobile phone manufacturer, especially after recently entering a partnership that is for the long term already.

Is Microsoft's next move buying Nokia or RIM? Nah... | ZDNet

it_consultant

Before yesterday it would have been unlike and odd for Google to buy a phone manufacturer. Before that it was MS buying skype. There isn't just a patent power grab, but as MS and google probably have figured out, its easier to buy a phone company then try to become one.

Webmaster

it_consultant wrote: »

Before yesterday it would have been unlike and odd for Google to buy a phone manufacturer.

With all the different areas Google has entered since they started off as a search engine I don't find that nearly as odd and unlikely as Microsoft buying a phone manufacturer and basically going the Apple way in addition to continuing developing software for other hardware manufacturers of phones, tablet, PCs, etc. I don't assume either wants to try and become a "phone company", they both want a share in the "mobile OS" market. And as Google mentioned on their own blog, the "acquisition will strengthen Google’s patent portfolio" all for the purpose of protecting and pushing Android. Motorola will still be a separate company. Microsoft doesn't need to buy Nokia because they already have these advantages from the partnership with Nokia without having to buy the entire company.

From that article I linked to:

someone at ZDNet" wrote:

Acquisitions of big companies are tough for any vendor to pull off well. Microsoft has had issues digesting companies that it has acquired in recent years. (Examples: Danger, adECN, aQuantive) Consequently, the Microsoft brass have been more inclined to partner (Nokia, Yahoo) than purchase — with the very obvious exception of Skype [edit:supposedly a tax dodge].

Microsoft execs have found ways to structure its strategic partnerships so that Redmond gets what it wants from the participants without having to buy companies outright.