Motorola

Study: U.S. mobile phone sales down 13 percent

Sue Marek — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:20:32 -0400

A study by NPD Group says that U.S. consumers purchased 28 million mobile phones in second quarter, a 13 percent decline over the same period a year ago. The firm estimates that total sales were $2.4 billion, down 2 percent year over year. NPD says that Motorola managed to maintain its lead but its unit sales share dropped 6 percent from first quarter. Motorola led the U.S. sales with 21 percent of the market, Samsung and LG both had 20 percent share and tied for second and third place, fourth place went to Nokia with 9 percent and RIM with 7 percent. Release

Wi-LAN, RIM settle patent dispute

Sue Marek — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:58:42 -0400

Controversial Canadian firm Wi-LAN Inc. and Research In Motion resolved a patent suit that Wi-LAN filed against RIM in June, claiming that it had infringed upon its patents for making and selling products that include mobile handheld devices and other equipment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ottawa-based Wi-LAN, which some consider a patent troll, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division--a court that is favored by patent-license companies seeking big judgments. Wi-LAN also named Motorola and UTStarCom in the case.

For more:
- read this article

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Motorola exec: FCC white space testing going well

Sue Marek — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:43:52 -0400

The FCC's white space device field test, which started last month, is going very well-- at least for some companies. In an interview yesterday with FierceWireless, Steve Sharkey, Motorola's senior director, regulatory and spectrum policy, said that the FCC has just finished most of the outdoor white space device testing and that Motorola's white space device did very well in the tests. Sharkey said that Motorola uses geolocation technology, which means it uses a combination of location technology (such as GPS) and a database that advises the device on what channel to use and whether or not there is compatibility with other white space devices."The geolocation approach has proved highly reliable," Sharkey says.

The FCC is on track to finish its white space testing soon and the commission will release a report with all the test information. Sharkey believes that based upon the performance of Motorola's device, geolocation technology will be part of the recommendation for white space device specifications.

The FCC is conducting the tests to see whether the devices that access unused television airwaves, called "white spaces," will interfere with television broadcasts. Companies such as Google and Microsoft want to use this spectrum to develop new mobile communications devices. However, the initiative has raised the ire of the National Association of Broadcasters, which argues that "white space" devices may interfere with existing television broadcasts.

Verizon Communications Executive Vice President Tom Tauke told Broadcasting & Cable that so far nobody's devices have passed the FCC's white space testing requirements. Verizon has been outspoken in its objection to letting companies use white space spectrum for wireless devices. Tauke says that the company favors licensed spectrum.

For more:
- see this article

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Jha to head Motorola devices unit

Sue Marek — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:40:27 -0400

After months of speculation, Motorola has named Sanjay Jha CEO of its ailing mobile devices division. Jha will also be co-CEO of Motorola, sharing the responsibility with Greg Brown.

Jha, a well-known wireless industry executive, was considered a rising star at Qualcomm where he was the firm's COO. He joined Qualcomm in 1994. Len Lauer, Qualcomm's executive vice president and group president, will replace Jha as COO.

Analysts responded favorably to the news. Avian Securities Analyst Matt Thornton said that establishing new leadership in Motorola's handset business should help improve morale and slow the exodus of talent in the ailing division. In addition, Jha's experience will likely prove valuable as he tries to turn the unit around.

For more:
- see this article

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Report: ZTE tops 2Q base station deals

Sue Marek — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:05:36 -0400

Chinese vendors captured about 61 percent of base station contracts in second quarter 2008. According to research firm EJL Wireless Research, there were 67 total base station contracts in the second quarter, up from 47 in first quarter. ZTE topped the wins, securing 31 percent of the deals. Huawei was a close second with 30 percent of the wins.

Motorola and Nortel only captured one contract each in the quarter. Meanwhile, Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent each were awarded billion-dollar deals from China Mobile.

For more:
- see this article

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Chart: Telecom infrastructure vendor revenues for 2Q 2008

Chart: Telecom infrastructure vendor revenues for 2Q 2008

Mike Dolan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:03:41 -0400

Here is a roundup of telecom infrastructure vendor revenues:

Motorola ships 28.1 million handsets in 2Q

Sue Marek — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:32:07 -0400

Motorola surprised analysts by posting a second-quarter net income of $4 million, up from a net loss of $28 million a year ago. Revenue fell 7.4 percent to $8.08 billion and the company expects its third-quarter earnings to be flat.

The handset maker continues to lose market share, shipping just 28.1 million handsets during second quarter, a decrease of 21 percent from the first quarter. Although some predicted Motorola would lose its stature as the third largest maker of cell phones behind Nokia and Samsung, it held onto its ranking. In second quarter Nokia shipped 122 million devices and Samsung shipped 45.7 million handsets. Meanwhile, LG shipped 27.7 million and appears to be quickly closing the gap.

Motorola is in the midst of a major restructuring. Earlier this week it announce it was dividing its Home & Networks Mobility Group into three separate businesses, a move that many believe may make the businesses easier to sell off.

For more:
- here's a round up the telecom infrastructure vendor revenues - chart
- see this article (sub. req.)
- see this MarketWatch article

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Verizon launches new PTT phone

Sue Marek — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:01:41 -0400

Verizon Wireless has launched a new push-to-talk phone that uses the operator's 1xEV-DO Rev. A network. The Motorola V750 is a rugged device that meets military specifications for extreme conditions including shock, vibration, dust, solar radiation, high and low temperature operation and altitude. Article

Motorola buys WiFi security firm

Sue Marek — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:54:57 -0400

Motorola is acquiring WiFi security firm AirDefense. The privately held firm makes software that lets corporations secure their networks and comply with regulatory and industry standards. AirDefense was founded in 2001 and its customers include 800 government agencies and several blue chip corporations. The company, which is based in Alpharetta, Ga., will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola and will be integrated into the company's Enterprise Mobility business. The deal is expected to close within the next few months.

For more:
- see this article

Related article:
Motorola restructures--again

Motorola restructures--again

Sue Marek — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:47:26 -0400

Beleaguered telecom vendor Motorola has decided to separate its Home & Networks Mobility Group into three separate businesses, a move that many believe may make the businesses easier to sell off. The Home & Networks Mobility Group, which was created just a year ago as a combination of the firm's set-top box division and its connected home group, now is splitting into three units. The Broadband Home Solutions unit, which will include the cable set-top box business, will be headed by John Burke. The Cellular Networks group, which will make large-scale infrastructure equipment used by cellular operators, will be led by Fred Wright. And the Broadband Access Solutions group, which will make 4G technologies such as WiMAX, will be headed by Dan Moloney, who also oversees the entire division.

The Home & Networks Mobility Group has been profitable compared to the firm's mobile devices unit. Many analysts believe that either the entire division or parts of it are attractive to other industry vendors.

Motorola is scheduled to release its second quarter earnings Thursday. Avian Securities has forecast that the Home & Networks Mobility group will have a second quarter revenue of $2.6 billion, up 9 percent over the prior quarter.

For more:
- see this Chicago Tribune story

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