Motorola has been thinning out its ranks recently, and is looking forward to a positive 2009 fiscal year (okay, maybe 2010) as a leaner and meaner mobile phone manufacturer. The latest round of layoffs from Motorola, however, have sparked a lot of speculation about Motorola’s plans to ditch Windows Mobile as a smartphone platform in favor of the open-source Android OS. Motorola recently laid-off 77 employees involved with Windows Mobile development, and combined with Motorola’s move to boost its Android development team, sparked rumors that Motorola was planning to ditch the WinMo platform in their consumer smartphone lineup.
Today, we have confirmation from Motorola spokesperson Maya Komadina that despite speculation hinting as such, Motorola is still supporting Windows Mobile. “It is important to note that Motorola’s strategy for the Mobile Devices business has not changed — we continue to focus on Windows Mobile as one of our software platforms, and there are teams working on Windows Mobile development at other facilities,” she said.
Motorola may still be supporting Windows Mobile in their smartphone lineup going forward, but Android is likely to become the new gem in Motorola’s smartphone portfolio. Android, aside from being free to license, provides a more user-friendly platform that Motorola has been in dire need of since the RAZR. Look for Motorola to focus heavily on their Android products late this year and into next year.
[Via: PCWorld]