Motorola Bets Big on Android

In an attempt to revice the struggling handset maker, Motorola's (MOT) new Chief is going with Google (GOOG).

The WSJ Reports:

"Sanjay Jha, who also became Motorola's co-chief executive in August, has decided to focus on Google Inc.'s Android operating system as the software platform for Motorola's showcase phones, according to people familiar with the matter. He is betting on Google's Android operating system and just two other software platforms to speed development of sorely needed new models. He plans to jettison at least four other platforms, limiting the number of employees required to do customization work for different wireless carriers.

This means Motorola may scrap dozens of phone designs that are in development, potentially leading to product delays in the coming quarters. Motorola hired the Indian-born and United Kingdom-educated executive from chip maker Qualcomm Inc., where he oversaw development of software that ran the Google system."

This is a good move for Motorola as it becomes more apparent everyday that the future of phones will come down to Rimm's (RIMM) blackberry, Apple's (APPL) iPhone and the new offering from Google. The intergration of the phone with Google's already massively used products all but assures its sucess.

This may not revive Motorola to its previous heights, but it will remove it from the trash heap.