Google’s announcement that it will be acquiring Motorola Mobility has led to a number of concerns and speculations. Based on the press release on the 15^th August, Motorola Mobility will continue to be a licensee of Android when the deal closes, and will be operated as an independent company. Additionally, the release sought to assure other Android partners that Android would continue to be developed “as an open platform and a vibrant open source community.”

Google and Motorola Mobility

The $12.5 billion buyout is still being reviewed by the European Commission, with the deadline for a final decision being the 10th January, 2012. It is also being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, and other relevant bodies. In the meantime, market watchers and tech lovers alike are already making predictions about what the transaction means. Whereas some see it as a good move, others are sceptical about Google’s underlying intentions.

At the moment, the Google is by far the most popularly used search engine. By buying Motorola Mobility, the internet giant could soon extend its dominance to the video solutions and home device markets. Furthermore, it will gain unprecedented control over how Android is developed, and accessed.

Many speculate that the foremost benefit to Motorola so far is protection from what Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page referred to in the release as “anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.” Whether or not it will work is yet to be seen since the deal is not yet finalized. However, it is clear that the ongoing patent battles between Motorola and its competitors could get more interesting.

If the intentions laid out in the press release are adhered to, consumers and other companies that manufacture Android devices will benefit from the move. Unfortunately, the deal does give Google a tremendous amount of power, and fears of favouritism have been expressed since it was revealed.

With only weeks away from the 10^th January, people are watching to see whether the sale will be allowed or rejected. Should the decision be in Google’s favour, what happens after will depend on a number of factors. Onlookers can merely speculate about the specifics, but clearly an acceptance of the deal will make way for some major changes through-out the mobile solutions industry.

Tags: google, Motorola Mobility, Search Engines

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2011 at 12:05 am and is filed under Search Engines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.