The problem with having an alliance like this is the bureaucracy of it all. Updating an operating system requires a lot of testing. Between these 7 companies, there are about 300,000 employees. There are analysts, project managers, directors, and executives to go through before an update is released. There is only so much Google can do to push everybody to get their jobs done.

[PCMag]

LG-Box Partnership Brings 50GB of Free Lifetime Storage in the Cloud to All LG Android Mobile Devices

Users of LG Android Mobile Handsets Are First to Receive 50 GB of Free Cloud Storage and Enterprise-Grade Security with Box for Android to Enhance their Enterprise Mobile Experience

SAN DIEGO and PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics Inc. (LG), a global technological force in mobile communications and Box, a leading cloud content management provider, today announced that LG would be the first handset maker to offer 50GB of free cloud storage via Box for Android on all LG Android mobile devices. LG users who sign up for an account with Box through their LG Android mobile devices between November 30, 2011 and March 31, 2012 will enjoy the benefits of free, secure cloud storage and sharing for the lifetime of the account.

“With 50GB of free cloud storage from Box combined with world-class LG Android mobile devices, LG users are provided with cloud computing capabilities to support secure content management, collaboration and productivity on the move,” said Ki S. Kim, corporate vice president and head of Global Enterprise Mobility Solutions (B2B) at LG Electronics. “We will continue to set the standard in the enterprise mobility space by introducing innovative, cutting-edge solutions to enhance the mobile experience of enterprise users.”

“Android mobile adoption is growing at an unprecedented rate and by working with LG, we are bringing the full power of the cloud to those users,” said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box. “To take full advantage of mobile computing, it is essential that users never have to worry about storage limitations, and we believe that LG’s efforts combined with the capabilities of Box will be a turning point for both the mobile device and cloud storage categories.”

According to a recent Gartner report, the Android operating system accounted for 52.5 percent of smartphone sales to end users in the third quarter of 2011, more than doubling its market share from the third quarter of 2010. LG, as one of the worldwide leaders in mobile, has released a line of sleek and powerful Android devices this year including the Revolution 4G LTE, Thrill 4G, Marquee and most recently, DoublePlay.

This joint storage offering culminates from LG’s efforts in establishing a solid portfolio of enterprise mobility solution offerings through a robust partner ecosystem. It complements LG’s current suite of solutions encompassed within four major categories – mobile device management and security, mobile virtualization, unified communications and cloud computing. As a leading player in the B2B enterprise sphere, LG has gained industry recognition for its manufacturing expertise and integration of mobility solutions into smartphones. Just recently, the Revolution™ by LG with VMware Horizon Mobile™ – the world’s first LTE 4G dual-persona smartphone – was announced as an Honoree of the International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards.

With secure file sharing and storage from Box, LG is poised to support users’ demands for access to content from their mobile devices in both their personal and professional lives. Today, Box helps more than seven million individuals and 100,000 businesses, including 82 percent of the Fortune 500, share and manage all their content in the cloud and from mobile devices. Now, LG device owners will realize the full benefits of the Box platform, leveraging the Box app to:

Manage an immense amount of content in the cloud with 50GB of free storage, the equivalent of approximately 50,000 docs, photos and presentations.

View, upload and share all types of content from anywhere.

Leverage Box’s open platform to securely access and share information across devices and applications with extreme ease.

Details and Availability

The Box for Android 50GB promotion is applicable to Android OS 2.1 or above with display resolution 320×480 or higher. The promotion is available in the U.S. starting November 30, 2011 and concluding on March 31, 2012.

For more information on LG’s Enterprise Mobility Solutions, please visit http://enterprisesolutions.lgmobile.com/main.htm.

For more information on the Gartner report, “Market Share: Mobile Communication Devices by Region and Country, 3Q11,” please visit Gartner’s website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1847315.

[Engadget]

Ericsson: Sony to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN–(Marketwire – Oct 27, 2011) -

– Sony Ericsson to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony and integrated into Sony’s broad platform of network-connected consumer electronics products

– The transaction also provides Sony with a broad IP cross-licensing agreement and ownership of five essential patent families

– Ericsson to receive EUR 1.05 billion cash payment

– Sony and Ericsson to create wireless connectivity initiative to drive connectivity across multiple platforms

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”), making the mobile handset business a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony.

The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.

As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.

During the past ten years the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.

This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.

“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four- screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”

“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world” said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.

When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The Walkman™ phone and Cyber- shot™ phone are well known examples.

With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia™ smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies. Prominent models include “Xperia™ arc” and “Xperia™ mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “Xperia™ PLAY” and “Xperia™ arc S”.

The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.

SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.

Facts about Sony Ericsson

Sales (FY 2010) EUR 6,294 million

Net income (FY 2010) EUR 90 million

Number of employees 7,500

(December 2010)

Headquarters London

R&D sites Beijing, Lund, Silicon Valley and Tokyo

Market share 11% in Android (FY2011/3Q) 80 % of sales are smartphones (Android)

There’s a couple of reasons why Sony wants the buyout. One, Sony Ericsson is losing market share for quite sometime now and it will continue to drop as the demands for high-end phones are declining. The popularity of Experia smartphones remains low.

The direction of both companies seems to be going different paths – Sony is focussing more on the consumer products like tablet, PC, game consoles, TV, cameras and some other businesses while Ericsson on the other hand is more on the telecommunication-network equipment and is more focussed on the business-to-business market.

Notes to editors:

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all- communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 180 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 203.3 billion (USD 28.2 billion) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.

[Gizmodo]

Google announced this morning that it is acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. What does this mobile acquisition mean? According to Google, “Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.” The deal was made in cash and was unanimously approved by both companies’ boards.

TechCrunch reports that Google gains more than 17,000 patents in the acquisition. The move puts Motorola at the front of the Android line, but Google is quick to point out that the other Android partners aren’t upset. Samsung and HTC “welcome today’s news” and “welcome the news of today’s acquisition,” while both Sony Ericsson and LG “welcome Google’s commitment to defending Android and its partners.” That all sounds a bit… scripted. Tell us how you really feel, Android partners!

Android has been Motorola’s sole OS since 2008, so in retrospect, the acquisition isn’t a complete surprise. Google officially states that the acquisition will help the company “better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.” That statement makes it most clear what the purpose of this move is: game on, this is war.