Google announced they intended to purchase Motorola Mobility last August. Nine months, a go-around with China, and $12.5 billion dollars later, the deal has been completed according to a post by CEO Larry Page.
“It’s a well known fact that people tend to overestimate the impact technology will have in the short term, but underestimate its significance in the longer term,” Page said. “Many users coming online today may never use a desktop machine, and the impact of that transition will be profound–as will the ability to just tap and pay with your phone.”
Along with the handset giant, Google gets more than 17,000 patents, not a small reason for the lofty purchase price. Despite Motorola‘s prominence, handsets by themselves have turned into commodities with all of the Android players fighting to get a small chunk of the puzzle. This will instantly position Motorola as a preference for many Android fans despite Google’s assurance that the mobile OS will remain available and fully upgradeable to their new competitors.
“Googler” Dennis Woodside will assume the role of CEO, vacated by Sanjay Jha.
