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Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

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Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#351

Post by ga0bi »

cube13 wrote: post #243
lukeschlather wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This puts both points b), c) and e) off the table. I don't see where you're coming from on b/c. Motorola makes great hardware - it would be hard to improve that. What Google can do is provide phones with unlocked bootloaders and the standard "Android Experience" UI. Google can make Motorola better precisely because they are a software company, and they can use that core competency to let Motorola focus on what they…

>I don't see where you're coming from on b/c. Motorola makes great hardware - it would be hard to improve that. That's exactly the problem. Google, as a software company, doesn't currently have to worry about a lot of the issues that the hardware side of Motorola does, like supply chain management(both on the production and disposal side), dealing with retail outlets, directly dealing with cellular service providers…

you bring up some great points, cube13.

personally, i'm looking forward to the acquisition so we can have Android devices that match up to the iPhone on a hardware level (emphasis on battery life). but the biggest concern i have is how Google is going to deal with the bureaucratic system that they will inherit from Motorola.

i'm currently working in the mobile industry, and a lot of manufacturing companies (Motorola included) indeed have a "very corporate" engineering culture. there are many levels between the devs/test engineers and the customer (whether it be the chip providers, service providers, other manufacturers) and the higher ups within the company. although Google is already a large company, i feel that they make an effort on minimizing the "corporate feel" and that a lot of engineers are attracted to that effort. but with this acquisition, will top-talent engineers get turned off? or will Google be able to minimize/eliminate the inefficiencies between the Google devs and Motorola engineers?

ps: i'm happy to finally be a part of the HN community :)

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#353

Post by malbs »

dlikhten wrote: post #178
51Cards wrote: post #166

If there is one company I trust to not screw this up it's Google and I think they have a good shot at getting this right. I'm sure their partner companies are going to be a bit ansy to start but they all compete on hardware / price anyhow which this doesn't change. A few points that pop to mind: A. They already had to compete with Motorola, so they haven't lost or gained a new competitor. B. They don't pay for Androi…

To add: a) there will be at least 1 company focused on android which will be protected with the cloth that is Google's legal team. b) Google can make Motorola better c) Google can make hardware to go with their software. d) Google can finally make Motorola phones running android open. e) We can finally see what it means for a hardware company to exist with a motto: "Don't be Evil". Sure Google is not perfect, but all…

In regards to point e) I'm not sure how "Don't be Evil" applies to a company that makes bomb components and missile guidance systems.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#354

Post by malbs »

malbs wrote: post #353
dlikhten wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add: a) there will be at least 1 company focused on android which will be protected with the cloth that is Google's legal team. b) Google can make Motorola better c) Google can make hardware to go with their software. d) Google can finally make Motorola phones running android open. e) We can finally see what it means for a hardware company to exist with a motto: "Don't be Evil". Sure Google is not perfect, but all…

In regards to point e) I'm not sure how "Don't be Evil" applies to a company that makes bomb components and missile guidance systems.

Unless of course the first thing GOOG does is wipe out all the IP and Patents owned by Motorola that have anything to do with... you know, killing people.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#355

Post by donaq »

malbs wrote: post #353
dlikhten wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add: a) there will be at least 1 company focused on android which will be protected with the cloth that is Google's legal team. b) Google can make Motorola better c) Google can make hardware to go with their software. d) Google can finally make Motorola phones running android open. e) We can finally see what it means for a hardware company to exist with a motto: "Don't be Evil". Sure Google is not perfect, but all…

In regards to point e) I'm not sure how "Don't be Evil" applies to a company that makes bomb components and missile guidance systems.

Making bomb components and missile guidance systems is not evil in itself. If only evil men made and used weapons, the world would be in very bad shape.

I'm not arguing that the specific weapons mentioned weren't used for evil, I'm just making a general point that all the peaceful people in the world can afford to be that way because there are guns protecting them, so it's not as simple as weapons == evil.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#356

Post by intended »

lambtron wrote: post #345
intended wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GOOG is a s/w company and not a manufacturer. The ability to integrate both sides of such different firms is very difficult. This puts both points b), c) and e) off the table. Point f)? I'm not sure, but I really hope that they can do something while looking at exactly how it will play out on a phone. They did try this with the Nexus though, and that was not something which worked out perfectly imho. M&A's have a ten…

i think this will be accretive as $39bn of cash was just sitting there collecting minimal interest and motorola is moderately profitable. google has a strong management team with a pretty successful bolt-on acquisition history. even though this is one of their largest acquisitions, i have faith in the management team to either sell off the hardware component of the business, or otherwise somehow make this transaction…

I expect the same, spinning off the H/W component, but if they do that, they can't use it as a shield/target for the other android handset phone manufacturers.

As for the patent portfolio, from what news I've currently read, it seems the patents aren't the most valuable commodity.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#357

Post by jdelsman »

bdunbar wrote: post #180

Well, that should be interesting. I contracted at Motorola for a half-year - systems administration. They were very segmented, regimented and separation of duty'd. It felt like you couldn't sneeze without having the boss's boss's boss sign off on it. And then over to security for his chop. I've never been to Google or to Spain but from what I've read .. the culture mix is going to be interesting.

Yeah, I agree. I contract at Motorola in China, and it is extremely regimented. The Chinese are very good at it, though. Coming from a startup culture, I can tell you it is hard to believe the two cultures are going to sit well with each other. There are going to have to be some changes.

I think its convenient how the software structure is already on Gerrit (http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/), and we all use Google Apps for email, etc.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#359

Post by groby_b »

malbs wrote: post #353
dlikhten wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add: a) there will be at least 1 company focused on android which will be protected with the cloth that is Google's legal team. b) Google can make Motorola better c) Google can make hardware to go with their software. d) Google can finally make Motorola phones running android open. e) We can finally see what it means for a hardware company to exist with a motto: "Don't be Evil". Sure Google is not perfect, but all…

In regards to point e) I'm not sure how "Don't be Evil" applies to a company that makes bomb components and missile guidance systems.

I'm not sure they're part of Motorola Mobility...

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#360

Post by malbs »

groby_b wrote: post #359
malbs wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In regards to point e) I'm not sure how "Don't be Evil" applies to a company that makes bomb components and missile guidance systems.

I'm not sure they're part of Motorola Mobility...

Ahh you're right, classic me, I just parsed the headline and assumed it was the whole company, not just the mobile division.
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