Motorola made the headlines last year largely due to Google's planned takeover of the handset maker. It was thought that the internet giant bought Motorola Mobility mainly for the patents, and to date Google's further plans with the company have remained hazy.
Until now. In an interview with the American technology website All Things D, Motorola VP Christy Wyatt outlined the handset company's plan for the coming year: make Android 'business friendly'. This looks to be a heavy task, as Google's mobile platform has not been known to have a great deal of affinity with the enterprise market; Research In Motion and Microsoft have largely reigned in the business segment.
But while RIM stumbles into the new year and Microsoft is still holding its breath about the partnership with Nokia, Motorola is getting ready to take up a position. In the coming year, Motorola aims to go ‘behind the firewall’ at organisations that to date have been hesitant to embrace Android devices at work.
This hesitant attitude has been driven by the 'anything goes' face of Android, which causes many IT departments to fear for the security of their businesses' data. Analysis by international security companies such as Norton and McAfee has shown that Android is about the only platform to see an exponential increase in malware, while other mobile platforms have largely been spared. The walled garden principle of Apple's iOS, and the popularity of Apple devices in general, has made them more attractive for the business user group.
But with Motorola on board, Google can start the heavy revision needed to make Android ready for business use. Motorola bought barely a year ago 3LM, a company specialised in enterprise security software and mobile device management for Android handsets. 3LM's software includes features such as remote wiping, VPN, location detection and data encryption. Around the same time, Motorola launched the Droid Pro, a BlackBerry-like device with a qwerty keypad and relatively large screen. Motorola Mobility also produces broadband routers, network equipment and hardware for digital security. While these last products may not be directly in line with Google's range of services, it can't hurt to have them ready in the portfolio.
Motorola's strategy to target the business market may be, in addition to exploiting RIM's current problems, a way to placate some of the other Android handset makers displeased with Google's takeover of Motorola. To date, no one has turned their back on Android or even expressed criticism of the takeover. However, by explicitly targeting the business market, Motorola may be saying it won't be getting any special treatment on the consumer Android market compared to other manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC.
Can and does Motorola want to be the new RIM? Given the awkward situation RIM finds itself in, there are plenty of chances. At the same Motorola still has a small share of the overall mobile market. It is one of the handset producers that hasn't profited greatly from the explosive growth of the Android market and in the end found itself bought out. Apart from the valuable patents acquired with the takeover of Motorola Mobility, Google now has a hardware player in its ranks that needs to use its lessons learned to reinvent the wheel. A fresh focus on the relatively unexploited business mobile market can offer a welcome new perspective.
