Google lays off 20% of Motorola's workforce and turns to innovative smartphones

When
the news broke a year ago now, we thought that the
takeover of Motorola by Googleaimed above all to boost the
patent portfolio held by the search giant. Those acquired via
Motorola (17,000) which canhelp Google protect its OSAndroidagainst Apple patentsin the
domaine.

But now that the buyout has been validated by the authorities of the
concurrence, Googlecommunicates on the future of Motorola.
This promises to be difficult for employees with layoffs in
quantity, for the range of products also but carrying hopes around
l’innovation, Google's trademark:

First difficult decision taken by Google management regarding
Motorola, thedismissal of 20% of the workforcei.e. 4000
people, a third of whom are in the United States. A significant reduction in workforce
for a company that was once a leader in the field of telephony and has since
largely surpassed by its rivals (it posts 14 quarters with losses
over the last 16…).

These departures will be accompanied by theclosure of a third of the 94
company's international officesand also touch the top
management of the company, of which 40% of the vice presidents have left or are on the
departure, but therange of products offered by Motorola will also
undergo a drastic cut.

So, instead of offering 27 new models last year, the company
shouldfocus on a limited number of phones.
They should also "become cool again" by adding them
innovative features, particularly through the use of
sensors. Several examples are mentioned: the recognition of
user voice, better quality photos and batteries that
last for days. But we must not imagine that this will be confined to these
some ideas, in fact, a group ofa few dozen
peoplewill be in charge of innovation under the direction of a
former head of the DARPA (Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research) project
Projects Agency) at the Pentagon. She recruits into this team
specialists in metals (well?), acoustics and
artificial intelligence.

It will be very interesting to see what this strategy based on
innovation will be able to bring to Motorola and Google, to what extent this
could lead to a "Google" mobile from the chips to the OS as we know
do it Apple, and especially if it advances our smartphones! This
whatever we want, competition is always beneficial for us
users!

• 
  Find the very good article from the New York Times on this subject]

founder of the site. Computer engineer and Internet specialist where he has held various positions of responsibility, Laurent has been passionate about mobility since the arrival of "PDAs" in the 90s. Journalist for 4 years for the magazine Team Palmtops (Posse Presse) and author of several books on the iPad published by Pearson.