PERSPECTIVES

Today’s post comes from Jude Divierte, Director of Technology for iQ. This article marks the first post in a series of the most important technology stories of 2011 from iQ’s core team and closest collaborators throughout the GSW Worldwide network. Check back through the end of the year for more important technology stories of 2011.

When asked, “What was the most important technology story of the year?” many thoughts ran through my mind. I immediately considered Steve Jobs’ passing, Egypt going offline, the Japan earthquake crippling technology manufacturing, and even ICANN giving out the last IPv4 addresses. For me, however, one of the most intriguing 2011 stories happened back in August with the acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google. It was sudden and it caught the tech world off guard.

At the time, speculation about the transaction was that Google wanted a hold of Motorola’s patents. This would be an obvious advantage for Google; also, in light of Apple’s litigiousness, more patents would better protect Google from patent litigation. Now, with the acquisition completed, Google has control of upward of 20,000 patents.

These patents are a testament to the experience Motorola has in the communications world. Not only was Motorola innovative in wireless communications (eg, satellite, cellular, two-way radio, cordless, luetooth), they also excelled in hardware and chipset development, and even entertainment hardware (many cable boxes inside American homes are Motorola products). Coupling Motorola’s communication experience with one of the most successful/innovative software development companies in the world can only mean our friends at Google are cooking up a lot of exciting things.

One of the most recent offspring of this union was Motorola’s Droid RAZR. The self-proclaimed thinnest and fastest smartphone is pretty impressive and is ready to receive Google’s latest mobile OS, Android 4.0 ICS (codename: Ice Cream Sandwich). This is definitely a change of pace compared to Google’s first attempt at a smartphone, the Nexus.

Some other possibilities from this merger:

A Newer/Better Google TV
Currently, Google TV is only available within specific Sony TVs, or it can be added to an existing TV via a separate device manufactured by Sony or Logitech. Will the new union create a more robust entertainment solution leveraging Motorola’s experience in the cable industry?

A True Tablet Contender
The appeal of the iPad is not form factor alone. One of the most subtlest aspects that makes the iPad so popular is the close tie of software and hardware. Google’s initial stab at a tablet OS was blatantly a result of rushed, mishmashed development. With the upcoming release of ICS, a new Motorola Xoom might be seen.

A New Navigation System
Google Earth and Google Maps are arguably the most-used geographical navigation mapping softwares. Motorola has much experience in the development of satellites. Factor these variables into any equations; chances are, something innovative will result.

The Bottom Line:

Great software company + great hardware company + billions of dollars = endless Possibilities.