Moto all about Android smartphones

Last week Motorola also introduced new Android development resources to its developer program MOTODEV, including an app accelerator program for early access to tools, technical specs, documentation and other development support resources. Moto will hold its developers summit in San Diego on Oct. 6.

Android is expected to be launched on a total of 18 to 20 devices before the year’s end, leading some to question whether it will further fragmentation in the marketplace. Jha said Moto is completely committed to not fragmenting the Android ecosystem, and the only way to ensure that doesn’t happen is for others to commit to a common platform as well. Yet, given the influx of planned Android phones, Jha acknowledged that differentiation will be key to Moto’s success. Such differentiation will also be a challenge for the company, which doesn’t have any built-in differentiator such as Research In Motion’s messaging suite, Jha noted. Even with close ties to Android, it will still be an uphill battle for the struggling handset maker even after a quarter with increased profits, if not sales.

“For us, it’s a matter of running harder than anyone else,” Jha said. “My view is that we’ve demonstrated over the last year, or we will demonstrate when we launch the devices, that we have come a long way in one year. If we keep running at that pace, we have a good chance of keeping differentiation. I think Internet is going to be a very, very important differentiation. Tight integration of the Internet into the device and the home screen is going to become very important. We are focused on all those things, and I really think we have to keep running to keep that differentiation.”