Everything About Mobiles

Motorola officials said they will make $200 million in additional spending cuts even as they confidently predicted that their new smart phones will make a splash for the Christmas holiday.
The $200 million in extra cuts will be split between the cell-phone division and broadband mobility and corporate expenses. Motorola Co-CEO Greg Brown said Thursday there are "no new announcements" of additional layoffs "at this time." The cuts bring Motorola's full-year cost savings target up to $1.7 billion.

The Schuamburg-based cell-phone maker said it recently cut 7,500 jobs. Previous announcements put the figure at 7,000.

Motorola, whose share of the cellular handset business has fallen to about 7 percent from roughly 25 percent four years ago, is working with "multiple (phone) carriers around the world" to roll out new Motorola smart phones based on the Android operating platform for the winter holidays, said Co-CEO Sanjay Jha.

Web sites have started circulating prototypes, including a phone code-named "Calgary" with a sliding design, QWERTY keyboard and social networking capabilities.

Motorola's goal is to put select high-end smart-phone services in phones priced from $100 to $200, and to focus less on selling $50 phones in emerging markets "where we weren't making money," Jha said. If Jha succeeds in separating the wireless business as a stand-alone company by Oct. 31, 2010, he stands to reap $104.4 million in compensation.

Asked whether Motorola would partner with Microsoft to make an iPhone rival, Jha said, "We are extremely open to partnering with a number of major industry players, but our focus is Android" (Google's wireless operating system).

Motorola posted a smaller first-quarter loss Thursday than Wall Street expected, and regained its standing as the world's fourth largest maker of cell phones by selling 14.7 million handsets -- half that of a year ago. The quarterly loss totaled $231 million, or 13 cents a share. Sales fell 28 percent to $5.4 billion.

Motorola has a ways to go to convince skeptics that it can turn around its sagging fortunes in the face of tough competition from Apple's iPhone, Palm's Pre and Research In Motion's Blackberry.
"Motorola has done a good job of cost-cutting to stop the hemorrhagic flow of cash out of the company, but is Motorola doing enough Research and Development to put out something RAZR-like?" said James Brehm, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, referring to Motorola's last top-selling phone.

BY SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com

resource: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/business/1553119,CST-FIN-MOTO01.article

Samsung's shipments were up 50% year over year.

As the two, next-largest handset vendors fling themselves at the dual prospects of entry-level phones in emerging markets and upgrade cycles in mature markets, all in an effort to compete with Nokia Corp.’s breakaway, a few rivets are coming loose.

Motorola Inc.’s historic stumble has enabled Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to seize, by a hair, the global, second-place ranking in market share.

Samsung churned out 37.4 million handsets in the second quarter, compared with Motorola’s self-projected volume of 35 million to 36 million. Samsung’s unit volume is up nearly 50% over the year-ago quarter. Analysts said that the vendor’s efforts in emerging markets are finding a degree of success and, like Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, it has capitalized on Motorola’s weakness in the European market to gain share.

Samsung’s financial results on its massive second-quarter volume play are another matter. The overall company earned revenue of $16 billion for the second quarter, a 4% nudge up from the year-ago quarter. Net income in the quarter was $1.5 billion, down 5% from the year-ago quarter.

Samsung’s average selling price, as in Sony Ericsson’s case, has eroded with a push for market share. Samsung’s ASP in the quarter was $148, a 5% drop from the previous quarter.

The company attributed its performance to its Ultra Edition line of handsets in mature markets and its increased volume of entry-tier handsets in emerging markets.

Does Nokia feel uncomfort in place number 1 ?

source:http://www.rcrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/FREE/70713003/1015/rss01

Motorola, Inc. and Microsoft today announced an extension of their relationship, enabling joint partners to develop Microsoft Dynamics-based applications for select Motorola mobile computers. The relationship, announced in conjunction with Microsoft’s launch of the new Microsoft Dynamics AX Mobile Sales solution and Microsoft Dynamics Mobile Development Tools, paves the way for Motorola PartnerSelect members globally to port their existing enterprise mobility solutions to the Microsoft Dynamics platform. From direct store delivery applications for manufacturers to point of care solutions in the healthcare sector, Microsoft Dynamics AX customers can now empower their mobile workers with innovative Motorola enterprise mobility solutions that can improve productivity and decision-making at the point of activity.

Because enterprise mobility solutions require both hardware and software applications, the relationship between Motorola and Microsoft will present new opportunities for both vendors’ channel partners. As a result of the agreement, Motorola and Microsoft partners will now be able to join the other vendor’s partner community following a qualification process. Alternatively, partners will also be able to work collaboratively with each other to create more comprehensive solutions for their customers.

Motorola is encouraging Microsoft resellers to join its highly-regarded enterprise mobility PartnerSelect program, which has been awarded VARBusiness Magazine’s 5-Star rating for four consecutive years. The program has been designed with multiple tracks tailored to the needs of different types of channel partners including independent software vendors (ISV), systems integrators (SI) and value-added resellers (VAR).

Anthony Julien, CEO of Spectra Interface, already both a Microsoft Dynamics and Motorola ISV partner, said, “By leveraging the tools and applications from Microsoft Dynamics Mobile and Motorola partners, we are now able to provide complete solutions to Microsoft Dynamics customers at a much faster rate than we could have done previously and has helped us to extend our geographic reach.”

Microsoft Dynamics has tested and certified the Motorola MC70 Windows Mobile 5.0 Mobile Computer and MC35 Windows Mobile 5.0 Enterprise Digital Assistant solutions with the Microsoft Dynamics Mobile Sales and Microsoft Dynamics Development Tools.

“We have been working very closely with Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions in the development of our tools and applications for well over a year,” said Bjarne Schøn, product unit manager of Microsoft Dynamics Mobile. “We are very excited about teaming with Motorola and its mobility solutions partners on a global basis. As a leader in enterprise mobility, Motorola has a strong partner program and the broad coverage needed to support Microsoft Dynamics’ efforts to provide mobility solutions to our customers.”

The extension of the relationship between Motorola and Microsoft is indicative of the success of the existing collaboration between the two vendors which has already resulted in Motorola being named as a finalist in the category of OEM Hardware Manufacturer of the Year in the Microsoft Partner Program Awards. Earlier this year, Motorola was given the Microsoft Windows Embedded CE Partner Excellence Award in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) category.

“We are very excited to be working with Microsoft Dynamics Mobile on this initiative,” said Jeremy Butt, vice president of worldwide channels for Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility business. “By providing Motorola Enterprise Mobility partners and Microsoft Dynamics partners with the ability to utilize Microsoft Dynamics Mobile Development Tools and Microsoft Dynamics AX Mobile Sales application, we are now able to bring full solutions to Microsoft Dynamics AX customers. The extension of our relationship is great news for our channel partners and customers alike.”

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.9 billion in 2006.

Denver, CO. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007
10 July 2007

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced it has completed its acquisition of Modulus Video, Inc., a privately-held company. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Modulus Video is a leader and innovator in MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression systems designed for delivery of high value video content in the IPTV, cable, broadcast and satellite marketplace. Modulus Video has partnered with Motorola for over two years bringing high-quality encoding solutions to key customers around the world.

This acquisition complements Motorola’s recent acquisitions of Broadbus, Kreatel, Tut Systems and Netopia in the creation and delivery of an integrated, end-to-end video delivery system for multiple network architectures.

Modulus Video will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola and will be integrated into the Motorola Home and Networks Mobility business. Motorola intends to maintain Modulus Video operations in Sunnyvale, California.

About Modulus Video
Since its founding in 2002, Modulus Video has been the only company to focus 100 percent of its efforts on perfecting the use of the MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard. As a result, Modulus Video’s powerful MPEG-4 AVC encoders are now a critical component behind today’s most compelling IPTV deployments around the world, providing the most efficient use of available bandwidth and delivering outstanding standard definition and high definition television services over new and existing broadband infrastructure. Its products meet the needs of the broadcast, narrowcast and video-on-demand markets.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering “must have” products, “must do” experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.9 billion in 2006.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release, including the expected timetable for completing the proposed transaction between Motorola and Modulus Video, future financial and operating results, benefits and synergies of the transaction, future opportunities for the combined company and products, any other statements regarding Motorola’s or Modulus Video’s future expectations, beliefs, goals or prospects, the near-term impact of the transaction on Motorola’s earnings per share, and any statements that are not statements of historical facts might be considered forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements represent managements’ current judgment of future events, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, include: (i) the parties’ ability to consummate the transaction; (ii) the conditions to the completion of the transaction may not be satisfied, or the regulatory approvals required for the transaction may not be obtained on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; (iii) the parties’ ability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction; (iv) the possibility that the parties may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all; (v) Motorola’s ability to successfully integrate Modulus Video’s operations and technology into those of Motorola and the possibility that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (vi) revenues following the transaction may be lower than expected; (vii) operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the transaction; (viii) the retention of certain key employees at Modulus Video; and (ix) the other factors described in Motorola’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and its subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Motorola and Modulus Video assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, and such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill and SUNNYVALE CA.
2 July 2007

source : http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/motorokrz6/