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Motorola to acquire Good Technology

The move gives Motorola a foothold in the enterprise market, where it will go up against RIM.

Erica Ogg Former Staff writer, CNET News
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur.
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Erica Ogg
Motorola will buy enterprise mobile-computing software company Good Technology, the companies announced Friday.

"Good Technology's solutions, talent and customers complement Motorola's business and extend our ability to deliver compelling products and services to enterprise customers," Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices business, said in a statement.

Motorola will maintain the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company's customer and carrier relationships by continuing with its multidevice strategy, the companies said. Terms of the deal, expected to close in early 2007, were not disclosed.

Motorola is already a leader in the consumer mobile industry; its Razr phone is one of the most popular handsets on the market. The acquisition of Good Technology, maker of Good Mobile Messaging and Good Mobile Intranet, potentially gives Research In Motion, whose BlackBerry is one of the most popular handhelds on the market, a competitor in enterprise mobile-computing.

Analyst Jack Gold called the move "questionable" on Motorola's part.

"The greatest effect will be on Palm, though not immediate. This weakens them overall in the market and pushes them closer to Microsoft. RIM gains another competitor with much deeper pockets than Good had to promote their products," Gold said in an e-mail.

Motorola already offers Good Mobile Messaging on its Q smart phone.