Google's Buying Out Motorola For 12.5 Billion USD

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Google's Buying Out Motorola For 12.5 Billion USD

While we don't normally talk about Android news, this Monday morning Google has made a particularly interesting announcement that affects their mobile Linux operating system as well as hardware. Google has just announced they will be acquiring Motorola Mobility at a price of around 12.5 billion USD...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=OTc5MQ

[przemoli]

Yes, only separate business unit give some protection in case of patent war. Google will still be able to say that Android is free, so charging it for Motorolla gains is not right.

But I wish they would buy HTC (maybe then they would free S3TC patent?)

Anyway, there should be more news about it as it may have huge impact on market.

[Cyborg16]

Google will be running Motorola as a separate business and they will remain a licensee to Android and still work with other mobile phone vendors. This acquisition is also a major win for Google and their patent portfolio as they continue on the defensive against Apple, Microsoft, and others.

Ever more capitalisation — is there really a need for it? I.e. can't google and motorola simply work together as separate companies?

[Chewi]

Ever more capitalisation — is there really a need for it? I.e. can't google and motorola simply work together as separate companies?

A year or so ago, I would have disagreed, they had been sinking for some time and didn't look likely to survive. They've managed to bounce back since though so I too wonder if this is really necessary.

[Xilanaz]

I think the only necessity for google is it gains more patents, these days it seems it does not mater what silly patents you own but how much. Personally I think that is the biggest reason behind this, could they have made a stand together... probably but you never know what an other business will do in the end unless you own it.

[Schugy]

Android and FOSS? WTF?

[smitty3268]

Yes, only separate business unit give some protection in case of patent war. Google will still be able to say that Android is free, so charging it for Motorolla gains is not right.

But I wish they would buy HTC (maybe then they would free S3TC patent?)

Anyway, there should be more news about it as it may have huge impact on market.

Samsung is too big to buy, and HTC doesn't have any patents, which I'm sure made Motorola the perfect target.

Hopefully Samsung and HTC don't get too worried about this - i can see how they might be nervous that Android might start favoring Motorola phones now.

[mendieta]

Samsung is too big to buy, and HTC doesn't have any patents, which I'm sure made Motorola the perfect target.

Hopefully Samsung and HTC don't get too worried about this - i can see how they might be nervous that Android might start favoring Motorola phones now.

You took that from my mouth

I was going to say exactly all that. It is also amazing how it cost Google about the same amount of cash that MS used to buy Skype. The latter will go down in history as one of the stupidest mistakes in IT corporate history.

[madjr]

haha they should had bought a competitor like Rim... or apple mobility (ok wishful thinking)

[Adarion]

Before there was the bid race for the Nortel patent pool. The conglomerate of MS/Apple/other nasties won that for about 4,5*10^9 USD. But today I read about Google's bids and I LOLd myself nearly off my chair.

1,902,160,540
2,614,972,128
3,141,59x,xxx USD.

lol.
They were probably also lolling a lot when they bid, and already preparing the deal with Motorola. So now they have something to stand up against those MS/Apple/Oracle patent trolls plus a kinda well working cellphone and chips manufacturer plus some market share.
I guess elop will now kill Nokia so MS can buy in completely for cheap. Ugh!

But damn, when I see these numbers I really would like to say to all of them: "Hey, if you have such a lot of money to throw around, throw some at me. 40-60 h work per week for lousy <1000 USD (850 E) the month with high cost of living around here. :/