Motorola gives Google the boot, turns to Skyhook for location services

[searayman]

This is really interesting:

Motorola gives Google the boot, turns to Skyhook for location services -- Engadget

 

[wuyanks]

indeed

Motorola Abandoning Google Location Services for Skyhook | DroidBlog - Android News

 

[Dustinmj]

Very strange :/

On a side note, someone at engadget is all about their word a day calendar this year, it seems. (Yes, I'm jovially kvetching...)

 

[cereal killer]

I think it's a good move for Moto since Google is going to be offering their location services on other platforms.

It will differentiate the next Moto Droid from other platforms/devices running Google location based services.

Why be the same : )

 

[souljerr]

Wonder if this will be a part of a future update to support the Droid Google Maps app

 

[hookbill]

Here's the whole announcement. Anybody else having a problem that it's dated the 27th and today is only the 26th?

BOSTON, MA – April 27, 2010 - Skyhook Wireless, the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence, today announced that Motorola, Inc. will deploy its Core Location across much of the company's portfolio of Android-based mobile devices. Skyhook-enabled Motorola smartphones, which will begin shipping later this year, will have the ability to better support a new wave of location-aware applications by leveraging Skyhook's precise, reliable, and fast-performing location engine.

Location is at the center of an extraordinary explosion of mobile innovation, and is fundamental to many emerging mobile services. Today there are thousands of mobile applications that incorporate location as a part of their user experience. Precise location enables consumers to check-in with friends, find nearby concerts and exhibits, or get directions to the destinations of their choice. For some experiences, such as turn-by-turn navigation or local search, location is the central feature, but increasingly, new types of applications in music, sports, and entertainment are incorporating location to personalize content delivery.

"Motorola is committed to providing rich location services for our customers and developer partners," said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services product management for Motorola Mobile Devices. "Precise location is central to the mobile experience, and Skyhook's Core Location will enhance Motorola's Android-based mobile devices with its innovative location technology."

Skyhook is the recognized leader in mobile location technology and produces over three hundred million location requests every day over tens of millions of mobile devices. The ground-breaking Core Location uses a combination of Wi-Fi, cellular and GPS readings in order to produce a single, accurate location quickly and in all environments.

"Motorola is creating ground-breaking and innovative mobile devices," said Ted Morgan, CEO, Skyhook Wireless. "Skyhook is excited to further enhance the location accuracy and availability of these devices."

About Skyhook Wireless

Skyhook is the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence. In 2003, Skyhook pioneered the development of the Wi-Fi Positioning System to provide precise and reliable location results in urban areas. Today, Skyhook's Core Location provides positioning to tens of millions of consumer mobile devices and applications. For more information visit SKYHOOK Wireless: > Home.

 

[koralyne]

Here's the whole announcement. Anybody else having a problem that it's dated the 27th and today is only the 26th?

haha, nice catch.

by the way, is this stuff a hardware thing, or would it be possible for the droid to get it? seems like its much better than google maps...

 

[Romple]

People on Engadget had a field day of hissy fits and doomsday announcements over this. They think Motorola phones won't have google maps or google calender or anything because of Skyhook.

Just in case anyone's confused here. All Skyhook does (well, its Core Location service) is provide you with one piece of information: Your location.

It provides this estimate based on nearby WiFi access points, cell towers, and GPS data. It has a database of wifi points that it got the same way Streetview got their data. Driving around in a truck cataloging them. There's no special hardware involved, so there's no reason the Droid couldn't take advantage of the service.

This does not mean that Motorola is removing Google Maps and Navigation from their Android sets. Although it doesn't mean they're not.

The only 100% certain conclusion is that Motorola devices will ask Skyhook for its location instead of Google.

 

[wuyanks]

Don't forget, Motorola has its own navigation software, MotoNav...

 

[cereal killer]

Don't forget, Motorola has its own navigation software, MotoNav...

Thats right! Totally forgot about this......

 

[Sweettooth]

Doesn't matter. Sooner or later, Google will put Motorola out of business along with everyone else.

 

[Romple]

Doesn't matter. Sooner or later, Google will put Motorola out of business along with everyone else.

Until they start making their own hardware, which they'll probably never do, I highly doubt this. Unless you're just going with a Skynet theory, which I'd fully support.

Google's facilitating device manufacturers now. Where was Moto before the Droid? Did people really know about HTC before they started making phones for Android?

Google putting a hardware manufacturer out of business would be counterproductive to their business strategy; which is to get as many people on the internet as possible.

 

[Yodes]

unless you're just going with a Skynet theory, which I'd fully support.

I support this theory also... one day I expect to log onto my computer and see this:

 

[HCdroid]

The article's tittle is misleading... "Motorola gives Google the boot"... now people think that Moto and Google are no longer working together. What they seem to forget is that Moto,Google as well as many others are part of the Open Handheld Alliance (OHA).
I seriously doubt their relationship will be severed due to Moto's decision to utilize Skyhook for their Location services.

In the OHA own words "A commitment to openness, a shared vision for the future, and concrete plans to make the vision a reality."

 

[Sweettooth]

Doesn't matter. Sooner or later, Google will put Motorola out of business along with everyone else.

Until they start making their own hardware, which they'll probably never do, I highly doubt this. Unless you're just going with a Skynet theory, which I'd fully support.

Google's facilitating device manufacturers now. Where was Moto before the Droid? Did people really know about HTC before they started making phones for Android?

Google putting a hardware manufacturer out of business would be counterproductive to their business strategy; which is to get as many people on the internet as possible.

There are likely a lot of things people thought Google would never do. I still remember back when Google was just another search engine I'd never even heard of until a super geek friend of mine told me about it; now look at them...