Google looking to sell Motorola Mobility set-top business
updated 02:40 pm EST, Wed March 7, 2012
Google said looking for Motorola set-top buyer
Google is already looking to sell the set-top box business it will get as part of the $12.5 billion buy of Motorola Mobility, the New York Post claimed. In August, during the announcement of the purchase, the plan was to make the business work under Google's tutelage. Cable operators have been slow to buy Motorola set-tops ever since the Google buy was announced.
Sources said Google was in talks with Qatalyst Partners and Barclays Capital to help it find a suitor for the business. The set-tops are facing stiff competition for smaller and web-connected devices such as Google's own Google TV devices from various hardware makers. Motorola itself tried and failed to sell off the business in 2009 for $4.5 billion. Now, at least one source roughly estimated that the business would sell for between $2.5 billion and $4.
Along with Google, Cisco is also looking to sell off its Scientific Atlanta set-top business, along with smaller companies Pace and Technicolor, the tipsters said.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2010
The carve up and sell off begins...
I think Motorola mobility is doomed as its business is not part of its owners core business which is basically to provide search and sell advertisements.
The Googorola aquisition will be in the top ten tech merger blunders of all time in 10 years from now.