So, the big news this week is the proposed acquisition of
handset and tablet vendor Motorola Mobility by online giant Google. Lots has
been written about the announcement, with some pundits saying it's a good thing
while others see Google losing the plot and splashing cash about just because
it can. Here's my take.
The arguments for the acquisition seem to fall into two
camps, the first being a perceived need for Google to have its own hardware
platform in order to compete with Apple on level terms. Which seems fair enough
to me and all the more so given that the reputed $12 billion purchase price
will hardly make a dent in Google's cash reserves.
Those against, reckon it could upset existing handset
vendors, like HTC and Samsung, with long standing agreements with Google who
have been at the forefront when it comes to making the Android platform a
success. But then they compete against Motorola any way and, if handled
sensitively, Google's ownership shouldn't affect those relationships too much.
Moreover, ownership of the Motorola Xoom tablet has to be good news, if only to bring some
sanity to the race to catch up with the seemingly unstoppable iPad.
Other arguments for the acquisition centre around the
patents bundled in as part of the deal. As a relative newcomer to the
smartphone world Google is continually falling foul of patent disputes. The
back catalogue of Motorola patents won't make those disputes go away, but they
will limit what the competition can challenge in future as well as add to
Google's credibility in both smartphone and tablet markets.
Overall I think it's a good move, but I could be wrong. Only
time will tell.
This article is written by Alan Stevens and sponsored by Avaya. The opinions reflected in this piece are solely those of Alan Stevens and may not reflect those of Avaya management
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