The big news this week has been the Google acquisition of Motorola. Whether you believe Google just pulled the deal out of their ass or that they "set up" Apple and Microsoft into overbidding on the Nortel patents is irrelevant at this point. Now the real questions is how does Android proceed when one of the largest handset makers is owned by the same company that develops the OS? Both HTC and Samsung came out with their boilerplate "we think this is the best for Android" rhetoric but behind closed doors you know they're looking more closely at Windows Mobile Phone Series 7000.
Google has said they will be assigning Motorola's patents (because this why they really bought them, common knowledge yes?) to the mother ship while Moto will be run on its own. A lot of the op-ed pieces I've read say that Google is just saying this to get the deal signed off by regulators and will fold in the hardware development at some point in the future. From the very little I know about the way Google works I have to disagree. My assumption was that Google would leave Motorola to sink or swim of their own accord. It appears I'm not alone.
Via Shayndi Rice for The Wall Street Journal
"They are going to have to stand alone and win in the marketplace, or Google will shut them down and just focus on the patents,"- Edward Zander Former Motorola CEO
Better keep (read: start) innovating Motorola. Your days may be numbered.
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