Android Partners Announce Support For Google-Motorola Acquisition

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Here’s a brief Android 101 primer – Google licenses Android to the various phone manufacturers like HTC, Motorola and Samsung. So, when Google announced this morning that they would be spending $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola, what do you imagine the other manufacturers would think? A few other major Android manufacturers have sounded off on the deal.

You may be surprised by this, but they’re actually happy about this. Why? Android was becoming a patent minefield. Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and others have been suing Android manufacturers over alleged patent infringements. Motorola (who invented the mobile phone, remember) has a very large and diverse patent portfolio, one of the biggest in the industry, and with those mobile phone patents under Google’s umbrella, that makes Android more safe from patent infringement accusations. But, let’s see what the other Android manufacturers have to say:

J.K. Shin, Samsung Mobile Communications President:

We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.

Peter Chou, HTC CEO:

We welcome the news of today’s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.

Bert Nordberg, Sony Ericsson President and CEO (and TFTS fan):

I welcome Google’s commitment to defending Android and its partners.

Dr. Jong-Seok Park, LG Mobile Communications President and CEO:

We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.

All of those quotes were provided by Google on their press page providing information to the media about the Motorola-Google deal. Yes, they’re eerily similar and if you look at them all in the abstract, there’s sort of a Children Of The Corn vibe going on here.

Google seems pretty intent on saying that this is a move for patents, not necessarily to make Android exclusive to one manufacturer. It’s probably all but assured that the “Nexus” phones from Google that meet Google’s idea of a perfect Android phones will all be manufactured by Motorola, or whatever form Motorola takes after this acquisition goes through.

And, just for those of you who are yet to read up on the ‘official word’ concerning this news, here’s the press release that announced this ‘definitive agreement’ btween Google and Motorola:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Aug. 15, 2011 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.