Strategy Analytics: Will the Motorola Acquisition Turn the Tide for Google Apps?
August 18, 2011
By Mini Swamy, TMCnet Contributor
The new Strategy Analytics (News - Alert) report “Googlorola: Good News or Bad News for Developers and the Android Market” discusses the acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google (News - Alert) and makes an effort to identify the criteria deemed important by consumers while buying new handsets.
According to the report, more than 70 percent of consumers agreed that apps were a high priority and they were more likely to buy a handset that had access to a large number of apps.
Before the Motorola (News - Alert) acquisition, a salient difference between the Google and Apple ecosystem was that Apple built the iOS ecosystem and could develop hardware and software that worked in conjunction while Google consistently struggled to tie its software upgrades to new hardware.
The end result was that Apple could develop innovative apps whereas Google developers, who used the Android (News - Alert) platform, were unable to create new compelling apps. Perhaps the selection of Motorola as an acquisition target was to address the critical flaws in Android.
Analysts believed that Android has scope for immense growth and the Motorola acquisition could bring in something that will help Android to “get moving”.
According to Josh Martin, director of apps research at Strategy Analytics, Google wanted to provide developers with a conducive environment where they could succeed as it was critical to building long term support and consumer interest.
Martin said, “If handled correctly, the acquisition of Motorola –– could help Google make Android into a platform that offers unrivaled revenue opportunities. But this acquisition is not without risk.”
Mini Swamy is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.