Chapter 1 - Brief History and the Mission Statement

History 

   Motorola is an American company with a lengthy history in the telecommunication field.  It has contributed heavily to the mobile phone technology revolution that we are witnessing today. Prior to creating the first mobile phone, their maiden product was a "battery eliminator"  that was created in 1928. In a short span of time, they had a diverse product category, and by the end of the first half of the 19th century, they were selling car radios, and television sets to the U.S market.

Motorola indicating its contribution to the space program

    In 1947, the company changed its name to "Motorola" from "Galvin Manufacturing Corporation." It is a marriage between the words "motor", which represent cars, and "Victrola", which was a well-known gramophone brand at that period. Gradually, it became a popular brand name in the U.S households. 10 years later, Motorola partnered with Ford Motor Company and the Radio Corporation of America to create the eight track player for cars.

    The most significant event of Motorola's history could be its contribution to the Apollo space program. As a matter of fact, Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous message from the Moon was transmitted to earth by a radio that was designed by Motorola.

   

DynaTAC

  In 1977, Motorola introduced its first ever wireless telephone. Decade later, Motorola offered the first cell phone to the public which was named as "DynaTAC". It became an invaluable communication tool for businessmen in America, and it innovated a whole new product line up for consumers.

StarTAC

According to Motorola's website, the company kept innovating with plethora of products and services in various categories, such as, hands free cellular phone for vehicles, and world's first GSM cellular system. In 1996, they introduced the world's smallest and lightest wearable cellular telephone which ultimately created a trend for clam-shell cellphones. It was called "StarTAC", and it was a welcome addition after its brick-sized predecessor "DynaTAC".

     Despite its early success, Motorola was unable to keep up with the competition after the dawn of the new century. It was rivaled by smartphone manufacturers such as, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. After Apple revealed the iPhone in 2007, Motorola was struggling to remain as the leader in its market. They tried to rejuvenate their obsolete mobile phone line up with Android powered mobile phones, but they failed to gain the edge. After its initial downfall, the company was losing market share. In 2011, Motorola split in to two independent companies, and Motorola Mobility was acquired by the tech giant Google.

      Last year, Motorola announced its first phone after Google's acquisition. It was named Moto X, and it was marketed as "The only smartphone assembled in the U.S.A.". It offered new customizing options, and it also featured touchless controls that allowed users to navigate their Moto X with voice. Moreover, it was priced at $399 which was considerably less than any other smartphone in its category. 

     Unfortunately, Moto X was not a commercial success, due to its strong competitors, and weak marketing tactics on Motorola's part. As a result of that, Motorola was sold to Lenovo by Google on January 29th of 2014. However, Motorola will remain as the pioneer of mobile phone technology in regards to its immense contribution in the early days of mobile technology.

Moto X

Motorola's Mission Statement

Motorola's mission statement is stated on their official website : 

"Motorola created the mobile communications industry. We invented most of the protocols and technologies that make mobile communications possible, including the first mobile phone, the first base station, and most everything in between.

Today, we are combining that pioneering spirit with Google’s vision and commitment to consumers. That’s why our phones run on Android, the world's most popular operating system. Android brings the openness that shaped the Internet to the mobile world. That’s also why we are the first company to bring smartphone production back to the USA and allow people to customize their own phone design.

'For the past 80 years, our engineers have thrived on invention, on finding new ways to solve problems. We continue to look for new opportunities to change people’s lives for the better through the magic of mobility."

It is apparent that the company has not made any changes to its mission statement after being acquired by Lenovo. Therefore, a change in the mission statement is possible in the near future. 

Sources :  Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 
                 Motorola.com
                 BBC: Google sells Motorola Mobility unit to Lenovo for $3bn
                 Google: Facts about Google’s acquisition of Motorola
                 New York Times: How the Destinies of Motorola and Palm Grew Apart