Motorola CEO Greg Brown takes personal control of phone division

The drama at Motorola just keeps coming -- apparently CEO Greg Brown has now taken direct personal control of the mobile phone division in an effort to turn it around. Of course, this move -- announced in an internal email leaked to Reuters -- comes in the wake of buyout rumors and Motorola's own admission that it might spin the handset unit off. We're not certain what steps Greg plans to take now that's he holding the reins, but we might know some people who might have some ideas.

[Via RCR Wireless News]

[Steffen Jobbs @ Feb 4th 2008 9:21PM]

If they expect him to pull an outstandingingly designed handset out of his behind, then that's something I'd like to see. He can stand up on a podium and swear he'll turn things around but it doesn't matter who takes over or what plans they have, Motorola as a handset division is done and gone.

I just hope some cash-rich Asian company buys the handset division for multi-megabucks and the rest of the company thrives on. It's hard to imagine how a company could stumble so badly the way Motorola did. How do they manage to do everything wrong?

[Urnamma @ Feb 6th 2008 11:53AM]

Two words: Six Sigma ;)

You can interchangeably use those with "Innovation Killer"

[Chris @ Feb 4th 2008 9:51PM]

Cool? Where's my google phone I was promised(I think).

[ByronGman @ Feb 4th 2008 11:07PM]

You wanna get high?

[ByronGman @ Feb 4th 2008 11:10PM]

Why did I just say that?

I hate towlie.

[jackstraw @ Feb 4th 2008 10:19PM]

All they need to do is make a GOOD OS. Their phone designs are decent.

[roole @ Feb 4th 2008 11:09PM]

Yeah, like a "good OS" is easy.

[Naseer @ Feb 5th 2008 11:13AM]

Could happen if Google bought Motorola and made them use Android

[sergiulucian @ Feb 4th 2008 10:25PM]

It would be a shame for Motorola to shot down it´s phone division. It is true that they didn´t come up with anything special in the past 2 or 3 years but there is some history there which will not be easily forgotten. I remember that my 1st phone was a Moto, i had to choose between this one and a SE, both looked like bricks back then and the screen was only for a line of text but the motorola was actually slimmer and looked better at the same price. Since then i had a lott of other phones including a few other motorolas like the V300 which vas a pretty good phone at it´s time and who could forget the A1000 which was too good for it´s time.
I always thought that the development of the razr series was a bad move for Moto, sure it was stilish and all but i think they should have developed something more innovating that would benefit them on the long run.
Hope they focus on more advanced phones in the future, like more WM devices.

[wslcrew @ Feb 4th 2008 11:18PM]

I just don't understand the whole logic behind spinning off their phone business. That's their last remaining (what used to be their) core business! What are they gonna be doing after selling off phone business... selling 2 way radios?

The idiots at Schaumberg should stop this nonsense and just get on with making good phones. Downfall?, just look at Sony-Ericsson. That company used to be #1 in the 90s and look at where they're at now. Moto, you are still #3 and that ain't all that bad.

[Agb @ Feb 5th 2008 3:10AM]

Of course the problem with Motorola is that while their phone lineup is for the most part fairly average. This isn't the problem, there really hasn't been anything new in terms of killer features for many years now.

The major problem that I see (At least here in Europe), is that you really have to be pure of heart, and be willing to really search for the decent devices. for example I really want a Motorola E6 with a Verisign java certificate. Not the locked in application model of old.

Not that I'm bitter...;-)

My quest continues, I can only live in hope of one day finding a shop that stocks anything but the razr XXXR.

[Jamar @ Feb 4th 2008 10:29PM]

Bring the StarTAC III to America. There is currently no decent non-cameraphone available, and for Motorola to only sell such a thing in Korea makes me a bit jealous, to be honest.

[Nicholas @ Feb 4th 2008 10:32PM]

Funny, I was just looking yesterday to see if Mobile Monday had a Chicago chapter. Not really very active!

Those ever passionate cell gurus are apparently pretty busy, too busy to discuss the future of mobiles and experiment. The corporate coffer must be brimming with great ideas to worthy to share.

Good luck Moto!

[Jonathan Wilson @ Feb 4th 2008 11:34PM]

I think they need to reduce the number of different platforms that they have.

IMO they should focus on 3 platforms:
1.A lightweight low-feature platform for low end and medium phones that dont have web browsers, media players and all the fancy stuff.
2.Their existing linux platform on their high end phones (across all phone standards including UMTS 3G)
and 3.Windows Mobile for smartphones where WM is what people want.

The linux platform that they have on their newer high end GSM phones such as the RAZR2 GSM is a good place to start, what they really need to do is to extend it to UMTS and CDMA. Oh and do some customer focus type testing where they ask mobile phone users (those who use Motorola phones, those who have used Motorola phones in the past but dont any more and those who dont use them at all) what it would take to get them to buy a Motorola instead of a Nokia or an Erikson and then take those results and do a bunch of that stuff.

[medici @ Feb 4th 2008 11:44PM]

Greg & Moto, your solution is easy, be inventive instead of being conservative. It is all in the design and knowing your customers. While those customers and the phone world has moved on, your hand-set exec's seem to have been stuck to no-risk indoor Moto activities. So, some have to go. (For that matter, same warning to SonyEricson, you are still stuck in the 'walk-man' era which is clouding your development.)

Corporate does not mean dull product and self-glorification. It is all or nothing. If you can't make it work, get out of consumer products. There is examples that it is possible to make it work, look at Apple, Samsung, LG...

[Jamar @ Feb 4th 2008 11:53PM]

Actually, you can do a lot with the Walkman brand. Look to Japan for Sony Ericsson's best work with it. Their biggest problem is their unwillingness to sell those phones internationally.

Same with Motorola- their most innovative products are Korea-only. That's just dumb.

[David Vincent @ Feb 5th 2008 12:44AM]

As a former employee company of Motorola they have their good points and their bad points. First and foremost people should remember that a cell phone is nothing more than a radio transmitter and reciever - bottom line - and that is their speciality period.
A point in their favor is that they build a almost bullet proof product and always have, but the one major thing that they have always had going agents them is inorder to get that type of quality they have claimed that they meed a higher price for the product. Which I never truly believed and untill they can turn out the same quality product and competive prices (which I do believe that they can just will not) they are going to remain in trouble.

[Gibson @ Feb 5th 2008 12:55AM]

When the hell did this happen? The RAZR was revolutionary, and the Q was all the rage for a while.

[Jeffri H @ Feb 5th 2008 4:21AM]

Interesting... Motorola has been my favourite for several years... What I want in my phone is a large and clear display, easy to customize, high processor, also the Linux OS that offer almost everything I need... Motorola had suite my taste, maybe before Open Moko comes, but still they are the best for me now..! If they can create 3G, Wi-fi and VGA display in they Linux (EZX or LJ), it just perfect! I dont need any 5 or 10 megapixels camera, it just make the price higher, which we can use to buy the camera digital itself... It just my opinion at all, and would be good if they can try it...

@Motorola company, dont ever think to sold or merge your mobile division, you guys have made a good phone, just try to improve it with innovation and features, also a better OS development! Dont forget to do not make any crap phone that not solid like the "number 1", especially the slider or clamshell one... Also get move faster! Being in 3rd position isnt that bad, you can reach the 2nd again, I believe...

[Yohannes @ Feb 5th 2008 6:32AM]

I always use motorola since startac 90. Change to other brands but quickly go back to motorola. My last is E680. Wait for moto-q, but finally got Samsung i600. Better features for the same price. Motorola always make a good phone, but too long to develop new products. It remind me Siemens used to be one of the best, but too late to deliver new products. It's a shame, but unless they change the way they work, they can't compete with other brands.

[contreras @ Feb 5th 2008 7:15AM]

I really don't think the problem is the design. Mororola's mobile phones division is not profitable. They do sell lots of phones, don't forget that. The higher costs that led them to the poor figures they show in their 4Q07 report, are in operations. Motorola end up working with almost every OS available in the business, and needs to focus. Either Linux, Symbian or Android (Symbian is the most used in the world). They need to start competing one to one, with more presence in the emerging markets (Latin America, Middle East and Africa) and keep the pressure in Europe and far east. But, with a clean portfolio. Motorola in the last years has just been a brand that "is there", and never had a clear message. They need to get their brand power back, and they won't with a big and weak portfolio.

[Naseer @ Feb 5th 2008 7:43AM]

What if Google bought the handset division of Motorola ?

[Oracle @ Feb 5th 2008 10:16AM]

Hmmm, there could be a lot of possibilities behind this. But the job of a CEO is strategic positioning of the company's assets. If he really plans on running the division then he isn't going to be giving his day job much attention. If he spends time at his day job, then he isn't going to be much help here.

My guess, is that this is actually further moves to look into a spin-off. In this case the CEO would be the perfect person for the job. Otherwise, its a dumb use of corporate assets.

Michael