Motorola plans for Android platform
Posted on February 11, 2009, under Google Android.
Motorola is planning new revenue stream from Android open source mobile platform devices. According to Sanjay Jha, Co-CEO and mobile device leader at Motorola “Android works well for Motorola, as Motorola’s new device applications are now focused on providing best-in-class Web browsing and unique experiences which would include social networking capabilities. Motorola’s expertise in Linux and Java is also a natural fit for Android development”. He also praised Android’s development flexibility and heavy developer interest. His expectation is that Motorola will be able to leverage Android software to build unique products that will prove alluring to carrier partners and resellers.
The news comes as Motorola is focused on regaining lost market share in the competitive mobile device space. It’s also not the only handset maker betting on the platform as analysts expect a flood of Android devices to debut at 3GSM, the Mobile World Congress event this month in Barcelona, from both new and tenured players. Yet some industry watchers aren’t as convinced that Android is the lone market-saving move Motorola needs to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. One industry watcher said an improved device interface is necessary for any major industry impact. Another said strategic planning is key to pulling Moto out of its current market slide. Motorola fell from fourth to fifth place in worldwide mobile device sales at the end of 2008.
With Symbian being bought by Nokia, and becoming open source, it was obvious Motorola needed to look elsewhere for a mass market platform and Android fits perfectly.