News and Views on Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility

There are a broad range of views on Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which was announced today. Among the issues:

• Was it a good deal for Google ? ( I've seen few question whether it  was a good deal for MMI)
• Was it  primarily for the patents?
• What will Google do with the handset business?
• How will it effect others in the Android ecosystem?
• What will Google do with the Horsham-based Motorola Home business? (cable/video products)
• What will it mean for Google TV? 
• What is the fallout for King of Prussia-based InterDigital, since this may means the collapse of its deal prospects with Google?

Here is a selected sampling of reactions and analysis:

Motorola + Sprint = Google's AT&T, Verizon and Comcast Killer (Forbes)

With Motorola, Google TV just got a huge shot in the arm (Gigaom)

On Motorola and Google TV (Zatz Not Funny!)

Motorola Could Get Google Closer to Your Living Room — If the Cable Guys Play Along (All Things Digital)

Why Google Is Spending $12.5 Billion to Acquire Motorola Mobility (Hollywood Reporter)

Google Plays Favorites With Moto Buy (Light Reading Mobile)

Quick and easy fix for all Android patent problems. Google should buy Motorola (Unwired View)
This writer predicted the deal two weeks ago.

Microsoft Was About To Do A Major Patent Deal With Motorola Before Google Came Swooping In (Silicon Alley Insider)

Everyone Who Thinks Google's Just Going To Spin Off Motorola's Lousy Hardware Business Needs To Consider Another Scary Possibility... (Silicon Alley Insider)

Editorial: Engadget on Google's Motorola Mobility acquisition
(Endgadget)


6 Products that Could Come from the Google-Motorola Deal (PC World)

InterDigital skids after Google goes for Motorola Mobility (Reuters)



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Daily Links 8/15/2011: Breinigsville, PA-based Cyoptics files for $100 million IPO

CyOptics files papers for $100 million IPO (MarketWatch)
CyOptics, which makes optical components for broadband applications, is based in Breinigsville, PA; Radnor's TL Ventures holds a 5% stake. Obviously, the rocky market conditions may impact timing.

The inside story of DreamIt Ventures’ first New York City accelerator (The Next Web)


New Jersey looks to nurture tech startups (NorthJersey.com)
Looks to DreamIt Ventures as a model.

DDC Secures Seed Funding from Robin Hood Ventures (PR Web)

TicketLeap Launches World's First Socially Integrated Mobile Ticketing Platform (PR Web)

Time Warner Cable To Purchase Insight For $3 Billion In Cash
No. 2 MSO Bolsters Mideastern Presence (Multichannel News)

How Comcast SportsNet Plays The Social Media Game (Information Week)

Urban Outfitters Jumps After Earnings Beat (Barron's Blogs)

Roku grabs $8M, weeks after releasing Roku 2 (VentureBeat)



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Google to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion

Google announced today it has agreed to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, a 63% premium over Friday's closing price. See Larry
Page's post on Google's blog.

The deal has direct implications for the Philly area:

-Google is buying Motorola Mobility (many say) primarily for its trove of wireless patents. This sounds like a bypass of King of Prussia-based InterDigital, which had been reported to be in serious discussions with Google. That doesn't rule out someone such as Samsung acquiring them; it just takes one huge bidder off the table.

-What does this mean for Motorola Mobility's Horsham-based Home business, which provides equipment to the cable industry? While Google has made some so far unsuccessful forays into parts of this market (Google TV), it is not clear what their strategy would be for this unit, though Larry Page said in his statement that Google is "excited" to work with it as it transitions to IP.

Motorola split into two separately traded companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, at the beginning of this year.

Motorola’s home division reported a profit of $62 million on revenue of $907 million in the 2nd quarter of 2011.

Update: InterDigital is down 290% so far today.

TechCrunch live blogged Google's conference call discussing the deal.



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