‘Google to name new Motorola chief’
Google is set to oust Motorola Mobility chief executive Sanjay Jha and replace him with one of its own executives when it completes its acquisition of the company.
It is understood Dennis Woodside, currently Google’s president of the Americas region and ad sales lead, will take over the top role at the mobile handset manufacturer to better align the company’s hardware offering with its advertising assets.
Google will be keen to ensure mobile advertising is a seamless experience on its Android operating system and that certain services come as standard on mobile devices.
Woodside has also been overseeing the merger of the two companies and was previously managing director and vice president of Google UK and Ireland.
Google’s $12.5bn (£7.9bn) takeover of Motorola Mobility was granted approval by EU and US regulators earlier this month and is close to completion.
The acquisition will give Google access to more than 17,000 patents that will help it fight off legal challenges over its software from biggest rival Apple.
Earlier this year a source close to the deal told Marketing Week the deal would allow the companies to develop a unique “pure Google device”.
Google has previously said it plans to run its new asset as a separate business and will not favour Motorola over any of its other Android handset partners, which include Samsung and HTC.
Android handsets accounted for 52.5% of UK smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2011, more than double its market share from a year earlier, according to research firm Gartner.
