In midst of the information overload with Google pulling a MotoRabbit out of their hat today, there is a big question on the Android ecosystem. How open does Android remain with Google owning a hardware company? As suggested by Sanjay Jha recently, will Motorola go aggressive on Android phone makers when it comes to patents? Will Motorola be the preferred partner for Nexus phones / tablets? Is Google making an Apple out of itself in the smartphone domain?
The answers aren’t simple and a lot of details would unfold as the legal filings become public. There are several different angles from which we can look at this news and here is a breakdown of what Motorola + Google means for companies like HTC and Samsung, who have put a lot behind Android already.
The Patent Angle
Motorola is an old player in the telecom market. It has tons of patents (some 12,500+applied) that the industry licenses from it and with incoming lawsuits from Microsoft and Apple, Motorola seems to be holding out better than Samsung and HTC. Google recently acquired some patents from IBM and combine Google + Motorola, the legal scenario for all Android players can lit up. Google desperately needs to protect itself against IP suits and Motorola’s patent bank is perhaps the only solace. Google had bid over $3 billion for Nortel’s 6000 patents, with Motorola they also get a pro-Android company that is rolling out products.
Motorola’s Closeness With Google
Motorola has given it all to Google. Since 2008, it has focused only on Android and has delivered some good hits. Motorola apart from being a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance, is probably Google’s favorite hardware partner. Motorola got an exclusive with Android 2.1 on the Milestone and also did the first tablet for Google with the Xoom. Motorola has been rewarded for its Android loyalty and this closeness between the two companies certainly wasn’t an issue for HTC or Samsung with both of them getting a Nexus each. But with Motorola becoming a Google entity, things might well change.
Motorola’s Software Work
It is important to note that Motorola has been trying its hands on software. They have bought an mobile OS company Azingo and were rumored to be working on their own Android alternative. There has been a silence on what Azingo acquisition is developing inside Motorola as and whatever software assets Motorola has would surely interest Google. This is another area which brings Google and Motorola really close, no matter how independently Motorola is run after the acquisition.
The Official Version
During the call with media and analysts, Andy Rubin of Google confirmed that Motorola would be run as a separate company and Android would remain equally available to all manufacturers. He specifically mentioned the Nexus series w.r.t. the bidding to make a Nexus phone would be open to all even after Motorola purchase. Google has 150 million Android devices out there and they sure don’t want to jeopardize the confidence that companies like Samsung and HTC have shown on the Android platform. The key selling point of Android remains, ‘open & free.’
