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Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

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Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#151

Post by sequoia »

51Cards wrote: post #146
haasted wrote: post #26

This is probably going to make some of the other handset manufacturers (HTC, Sony-Ericsson, etc) complain about Motorola having an unfair advantage when it comes to implementing Android. Wonder if any of them are about to regret basing their smartphone offerings on Android? The move ought to strengthen the competition among the handsets, though, as Google can now ship their "dream-version" of an Android-phone.

Apparently these are their early comments. Of course how much thought has gone into these yet is another question. http://www.google.com/press/motorola/quotes/

This was really funny; couldn't they've at least tried to make it look like the quotes weren't all written by one person?

    q1v1: We welcome today’s news,                    which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment        to defending Android, its partners, and the        ecosystem.
    q1v2: We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.

    q2v1: I  welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.
    q2v2: We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#152

Post by jfruh »

qeorge wrote: post #126
haasted wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it questionable whether WP7 will be manufacturer-neutral? The level of cooperation between Nokia and Microsoft remains to be seen, but a possible outcome is that Nokia ends up looking like a subsidiary of Microsoft.

True, and if RIM keeps dropping I wouldn't be surprised to see MS acquire them.

How would this fit in with a Nokia-WP7 Special Relationship though? Would MS kill off old and new BlackBerry OSes and just use RIM's old sales contacts to sell more WP7 phones or what?

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#154

Post by colintan »

There was some mention in a statement by Google of Motorola's success with consumer/home devices.

Any of you think there's a possibility of Motorola building on Google TV?

relevant article by Business Insider picking up on this point - http://www.businessinsider.com/motorola-doesnt-just-make-and...

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#155

Post by wisty »

BvS wrote: post #100
latch wrote: post #4

63% premium...insanity. This is all about patents, isn't it? Instead of spending $4billion for patents, spend 3x as much, get a huge portfolio (I don't know how large, but it's supposedly quite large)..and a part of a company as well.

6 month ago Motorola Mobility traded around 36$/share. Now Google is paying 40$/share.

So they did overpay a bit. But there is a genuine synergy - a phone company being bought by a company that makes a phone OS.

This might hurt Android adoption a little, but I doubt Google really cares. All they really want are more browser phones, which will funnel more money into google (via adsense). Or maybe it will make Google more sensitive to what direction Android has to go.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#156

Post by evilduck »

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #116
presty wrote: post #94

Just speculating: Could this be a genius move? I don't know how good MM's patent portfolio is but not only they get lots of ammo for the patent war, they also get their own phone manufacturer. And MM seems to in more than just phones, could they lead the way for the future of Android, namely Android@Home and Android Open Accessory?

Don't forget MotoMobile also got Moto's cable box business. Think of every new Comcast, TWC, etc. subscriber suddenly having a Google TV box by default; which is fully integrated with their cable system. Apple and Roku's boxes wouldn't stand a chance.

I'm not so sure about that. AppleTV and Roku boxes don't rely on a ridiculously expensive monthly subscriptions to be useful. The only damage to sales would be the people who would have bought an AppleTV/Roku box and retain their cable subscription.

A year's subscription to Netflix and a Roku or AppleTV are each just a little more expensive than a month of cable subscription, saving you a little less than 10 months of cable subscription fees. Google would have to add around $700/year worth of value to all these set top boxes to compete with that (not to mention having to play nice with the various cable companies and such).

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#157

Post by Symmetry »

sunchild wrote: post #123
hammock wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did it for the patents. Larry Page: "Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies." Seems like the best jobs at Google will soon be the lawyers, not the engineers.

Many patent lawyers are engineers.

Yup, after I got my masters and then got laid off I got an offer from a patent law firm to put me through law school if I'd come work for them. Patent law sort of sounded like one of the circles of Hell for me, though, so I didn't take them up.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#158

Post by mythz »

rokhayakebe wrote: post #14

Assuming they spent the money for patents, is this the best way to resolve this issue? Would it not be easier to throw 1M a thousand time over and let developers create solutions around these patents and open source the projects?

You can't code around patents, there is too many of them for any one person to know if you're infringing or not.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#159

Post by rbanffy »

davidedicillo wrote: post #153
rbanffy wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lawyer who's also an engineer is a powerful entity.

Am I the only one who imagined some sort of RPG character after reading this comment?

A character who can do magic no other can: sufficiently advanced technology.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#160

Post by lojack »

rbanffy wrote: post #142
cincinnatus wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they have any sense they are already negotiating the sale of the physical business on to someone else. Keep the patent portfolio and recuop $6 billion of the initial outlay. Also, "open" in name only.

> Also, "open" in name only. "open" as in: $ repo init -u git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/manifest.git

I believe the point is that google can now produce closed source motorola specific software, and not that android is no longer open source software.
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