Just a short time ago Lenovo purchased Motorola from Google. During it’s short time under Google’s control it lay mostly silent and forgotten. The only thing of any interest that came out of it was a reaffirmation that software optimization can truly do great things to an average phone. The Moto X was the proof.
When news of the sale to Lenovo hit the headlines everyone was shocked. For 48 hours the world talked about it, then silence. This leads me to believe that people don’t truly realize how big of a deal this really was. The truth is that this may send ripples throughout mobile communities worldwide. Think I’m being overly dramatic? Let’s take a brief look at the history of Lenovo.
Lenovo has been around under one name or another for the last 30 years or so. They became a household name outside of China when they made their first monumental purchase. In 2005 they bought the personal computer/hardware division from legendary powerhouse IBM. During the next 8 years they used it to build an empire, and these days are the number one computer company in the world. While they still sold tablets and cell phones in great numbers, their focus remained on personal computers.
Then came the current mobile era. Out of nowhere tablets and cell phones put a huge dent in the netbook and laptop categories and then started eating into personal computer sales. Instead of pretending that everything was fine like so many companies have done in the past, they openly admitted that their computer profits were down and that they needed to focus more on mobile sales. Soon after came the Motorola purchase.
Now this all seems pretty strategic to me. Think about the success they had with IBM. If Lenovo can manage half that success with the resurection of Motorola they could cause all sorts of problems for the ruling kings of cellular. Lenovo has a great management team that can see the big picture as well as plenty of cash to move on their intentions. Add in their existing global distribution network and their contacts, and you have a threat. Something Lenovo lacked was brand recognition in certain markets. Now they have that missing piece of the puzzle with the acquisition of Motorola.
I fully expect to see a number of new Motorola devices with reinspired specs and designs within the year. I also predict Lenovo to start pushing into the North American market using both Lenovo and Motorola branding. With high spec phones like the Vibe Z and the upcoming K7T Kingdom coming in at an attractive price point they are likely to tempt many phone users.
Will history repeat itself, eventually bringing a new king to the top of the mobile heap?
If so, will it have been Lenovo who saved Motorola, or the other way around?
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