Motorola Weighing Alternative to Google?
Interesting predicament that Motorola finds themselves in, as the once heavyweight in the mobile phone market tries to reinvent themselves. I agree with most of this statement in this report via bloomberg:
“This is the computer that I carry with me at all times,” Sanjay Jha (Motorola CEO) said in an interview, brandishing an Atrix. “If there is one bet we’re making going forward, that’s the core of it.”
Step one is the Atrix 4G. Jha says mobile phones, rather than complementing a laptop or desktop, will displace them as the primary computing device for most people. He says the phone will trump tablets too, whether Apple’s iPad or his own Xoom.
I agree that mobile technology is going to be the wave of the future, however I think that tablets and phones both have their role in the future. While the functions are similar, I see the market and demand for each as separate and unique for the moment. I haven't seem technology that could in essence bridge the gap in modern production. The "webtop" feature of the Atrix is trying to bridge the gap by allowing this mobile device to imitate a desktop computer, which is more of a replication of past computing experience and not moving into the future. It is nice to see mobile technology given permission to function in this role though.
The bigger issue that I see for Motorola (and for other companies choosing to use Google's Android) is distinguishing themselves while using someone else's work as the basis:
Jha’s challenge is to distinguish Motorola from companies such as Samsung and HTC that also use Android, available for free from Google. Yet Motorola’s strategy risks alienating Google. As Jha strives to make devices stand out, the variations threaten to splinter the platform, said Jonathan Yarmis, an independent technology consultant.
Motorola may begin making phones with other operating systems, in addition to Android. The company is considering Baidu and software called Wophone from China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd., said Jha.
Tough challenge indeed, especially considering that Google's Open model continues to Be Open?
I sincerely hope that Motorola is able to succeed in this strategy, as competition is good. They have made some considerable steps in the past few years, namely the Droid and the Xoom. Considering the Xoom is one of the few iPad competitors to actually be available in the market, it is quite the success at the moment.

