Google plays it smart as it retains $10bn worth of IP
1 min read
Onlookers might see the difference of almost $10billion between what Google paid for Motorola Mobility and what it got for the organisation from Lenovo as something of a failure. But it isn't.
Lenovo – which has spent $5bn on acquisitions in the last week or so – has got its hands on the hardware side of the deal. Google, however, has kept its hands on the IP and clearly thinks it's worth $10bn. By the way, it also kept its hands on the Motorola 'skunkworks' team, which has been developing what can be reasonably described as some 'wacky' ideas.
Couple this with the news that Samsung and Google have signed a wide ranging deal that not only gives both parties access to each other's patent portfolios, but also covers any developments for the next 10 years, and you have a broader story. Between them, the two giants dominate Android.
Throw in the recent acquisition of Nest and you can begin to think about Google morphing into a company which is all about Android based connected devices – which could be wearable, domestic and so on. Anyone heard of the internet of things?
