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Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

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Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#41

Post by Oculus »

DannyBee wrote: post #33
Oculus wrote: post #3

Google lost about ~$9 billion on Motorola (~$12 Billion acquisition and now a ~$3 billion sale). This happened in the span of 2 years. You could throw $100 over your shoulder every second for those two years and that still wouldn't amount to $9 billion. We're the patents really worth that much? Edit: To anyone who uses the recent news about Google being forced to pay a percentage of their AdWords revenue to a patent…

" couldn't you spend $9 billion on lobbying to end this whole disaster of a patent system forever?" No. It wouldn't even help. Can folks please get over the idea that just throwing X dollars into lobbying somehow will magically get them what they want from congress. Especially not when you have other tech giants on the other side.

Are there really tech giants that are totally ok with our current patent system? I was under the impression that no company was happy, just some (e.g. Intellectual Ventures backers) are making due with what they can.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#42

Post by huxley »

Would Google be able to keep the tax benefit of Motorola's losses for 5 more years after they sell Motorola off?

"[Robert Willens, a New York accounting and tax expert] estimated that through the acquisition, Google can expect to reap $700 million a year in tax deductions from future profits each year through 2019."

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/31/us-motorolamobilit...

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#43

Post by gtirloni »

I remember the day after the acquision of Motorola Mobility was announced. Some people showed up with any Google-branded merchandise they had at home (tshirts, mugs, etc). Everybody very happy and hopeful about the future.

Six months later, apathy had dominated, people were leaving on their own, the office floor I worked at had only 2-3 people, from the previous 70-100.

It's good to see it being sold to a company that demonstrated it can revive operations where the previous owner didn't care much (IBM with its PC division, and Google that only wanted the patents).

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#44

Post by dublinben »

aragot wrote: post #25
Oculus wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, not as bad as I originally calculated. If that money went to lobbying though, it'd be fair to argue that they'd be closer to solving the fundamental issues there are in patent laws vs. acquiring a portfolio of patents that are only a temp. fix.

Is there any study that shows the cost of lobbying (in the case of moving major ideas like patents)?

Only after the fact. Successful lobbying has a very high return on investment, but it's also pretty risky.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#45

Post by blinkingled »

npalli wrote: post #32

Interesting set of moves by Google. Few observations 1. A lot of people are fixated on the sales prices and the $9.5 Billion “loss”. Contrary to gloating from Apple fans, looks like in the final analysis Google paid about $3 Billion for “majority” of the Motorola Patents. Not a terrible deal. 2. Apart from the patents, one reason for the Motorola purchase was to provide some competition to Samsung. Given Samsung’s do…

>With the Nest and Boston Dynamics purchase, Google has the team and the chance to build the next great hardware/software stack ground up and be well positioned for the big markets in the next decade

They are keeping the Motorola Advanced Technology Group as well - the one responsible for project Ara (modular cell phones) and password tattoos.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#46

Post by saturdaysaint »

I wonder how much connection there is to new reports of Google strong-arming Samsung into scaling back their UI "improvements" to stock Android (by threatening to not allow the Play suite on their devices).

Perhaps the timing is coincidental, but it sends the signal that instead of trying to inspire device makers with a good competitor, Google figures that Android is dominant enough and their Play services are essential enough that they can dictate a uniform Android experience.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#48

Post by alexeisadeski3 »

So let's get this straight:

-Moto made decentish Android phones in China.

-Moto is bought by Google. Transforms into arguably the best high end phone mfgr in the world, with handsets assembled in USA. Moto is forging ahead with some truly innovative features on their phones, whilst maintaining the core Google experience. They are the only mfgr to do this.

-Moto is bought by a Chinese company.

Sooooo... what's next? I hope than Lenovo can keep the most exciting mfgr going the right direction.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#49

Post by seanmcdirmid »

[deleted] wrote: post #37
lispsil wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Inexpensive mobile market in China is 90% closed source or reluctant open source where they give you something thats almost entirely blobs to barely satisfy GPL. https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/mobile/KnEn... Most are squeezing all they can out of the MTK chipset and don't want their competition to know their mods. I'm betting they will flood US market with $80 MTK phones under the motorola brand

[deleted]

Right, sorry. It seems like all of Lenovo's current phones are MTKs. I could have sworn to see something higher end from them in ZCN, maybe it was another brand.

Re: Lenovo to acquire Motorola Mobility

#50

Post by thethimble »

mrich wrote: post #22

Google is happy to strengthen another Android OEM to balance out the ecosystem, keeping Samsung from dominating. They focus on the software which is their strength. I'm curious whether they have some clause to keep Lenovo from dropping Android in the next x years. Sounds like a bad deal at first, but considering this and looking at the numbers it's a good move for both companies.

Even without the clause I doubt Lenovo would choose to drop Android. With the Moto X/G, Motorola has strong momentum as an Android handset manufacturer. This includes consumer expectations that it will continue to make Android devices. Since Lenovo has no desire to (and is too late to) start a forked Android ecosystem a la Amazon/other Chinese manufacturers, sticking with Android makes the most logical sense.
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