Google’s Motorola purchase approved; Google becomes Android’s greatest threat

For Google, the acquisition of Motorola Mobility provides tremendous assets in both the smartphone and set-top businesses. Plus, it brings a patent portfolio that will help Google defend Android against the many intellectual property threat. The competition authorities are right to approve the transaction; Motorola is too small a player to change the dynamics in the mobile market.

Google’s Motorola acquisition nevertheless changes the mobile landscape markedly. It increases risk for device makers using Android to power their smartphones. Google already has a dominant role in the product roadmap, software development, media ecosystem and strategy for Android. Google could now choose to favour Motorola either overtly or more quietly. Although Google has stated that is not its current intent such decisions could be undone in an instant.

Google is now in the unusual position of being both Android’s greatest supporter and its biggest threat. Prior to this transaction…

Read the rest of the analysis on the IHS Screen Digest web site