Earlier this month reports emerged that Motorola (s MOT) would cut as much as 50 percent of its handset division as it slashes the number of phones it sells to a dozen and focuses solely on Google’s (s goog) Android operating system. The decision made us wonder if Microsoft’s (s msft) Windows Mobile OS might be a big loser because of that focus on Android. The Wall Street Journal today reports that Motorola indeed might be saying sayonara to Windows.
Now there are signs Motorola is shifting away from Windows as well. Its recent job cuts included a team of more than 70 employees working on the Windows Mobile platform at its facility in Plantation, Fla. Telecom analyst Ittai Kidron of Oppenheimer & Co. said delays in releasing a new version of the Windows platform may have caused Motorola to alter its plans in the short term.

Motorola denies it and says they will continue to support Windows Mobile and will have devices out this year. Motorola cut Yvonne Verse, vice president of handled strategic partnerships, business development and intellectual property, and Tracey Koziol, vice president in charge of product development, as part of these cuts. In addition, Motorola has shifted its market focus to the Americas and China, pulling back from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. But the WSJ points out that in Latin America, Motorola is relying on distributors instead.
All these cuts are not going to be enough for Motorola, which is the weakest player in the increasingly Darwinian handset business.
Maybe Motorola should merge with Dell. There are far too many players in the smartphone market, especially now Dell is getting on board, and smartphones are anyway converging with the rest of the computing industry.
Android…eww. Bad choice as the only OS to support, IMHO. I’d rather have Windows Mobile.
@Gadget Sleuth,
Interesting point of view. Why do you say that though?