Okay, let's do some HP Lemonade

Greg Kumparak — editor of MobileCrunch.com, the mobile industry blog TechCrunch network. Greg writing for TechCrunch network since May 2008. Greg was born in the vicinity of San Jose, California and currently lives in East Bay. ? Read More

This morning, HP acknowledged failure.

After spending $ 1.2 billion for the acquisition of Palm, they announced that they were killed by the development of all smart phones and tablets running Palm webOS platform — including just launched touchpad. Having survived for only 49 days before his death is tragic, lived only one day longer than relatives often scoffed at Microsoft.

webOS as the platform is not completely dead. HP says they will "continue to explore options for optimizing the value of the webOS, which is really just a fancy way of saying" Yes, we are still not quite sure what the hell, we're going to do with this stuff. "

There is a way here, HP — all thanks to the Google acquisition of Motorola.

You see, Google will certainly surprise $ 12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Android left other Motorola partners (Samsung, HTC, LG, etc) a bit ... shaken. In the blink of an eye Google went from what was essentially a 0% marketshare equipment for its own operating system to the imperious 30%. Anywhere from Google went from being a good guy that builds all of the software for free for something resembling a direct competitor. Google insists that Motorola will operate as a separate unit — but at least they will be able to use the Motorola Android secretly influence hardware ecosystem as a whole.

But where else are the Android other partners contact? Windows phone 7? Great! Allows you to keep throwing money Microsoft licensing. They just completely screw up by sticking with Windows Mobile 6.5 for too long, launched Windows 7 phone too late in the game, while at the same time too early in their own development, inexplicably tried to (and not) to run a platform relatives at the same time, and throwing the key into dickishly mobile world gears, requiring patent licensing money from those who find any success with Android.

Here's your move, HP: fill the gap that Google just stayed open.

1) Open webOS:

Use the webOS source code. Bit webOS are already available under the GPL license, but it's time to open as many others. Perhaps not all, at least not at first, as suddenly exchange the mountain closed again, the source would be a great way to fully bone all existing, is unlikely to be updated webOS devices currently floating around out there

2) give it away. Free Of Charge. But only for those who want to help make it better:

With Android the popularity and free of charge, except for patent licensing price and Windows phone 7 floating around as an alternative to licensing webOS would be difficult to sell. That is why HP needs to just give it away — but only for those who want to improve it. webOS is in many ways, the kind of amazing. Ridiculously simple system alert notification is top notch and he is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful operating systems ever built, but it has its drawbacks. Among other things, it doesn't seem terribly effective; never, it seems that even the Palm you can make the device on which the webOS worked better than the 4-year-old brick, connected with his feet. Besides Palm simply can never provide the resources for the creation of properly from webOS third parties; It doesn't have a lot in the pre-provided the functionality of the front (read: APIs), and that it is there that can really do better documentation.

And that's where trade. Desiring to make significant improvements to webOS? You get webOS! And you get webOS! And you get webOS! Not ready (or don't have the manpower) do to improve? No sweat — you can still license the webOS on the cheap.

The definition of "significant improvement", as well as the definition of "cheap" will have to depend on company size/income, but nothing better than HP, trying to solve only the webOS. Palm in best engineers took off when ransom went down, and HP have never proved herself capable of creating software.

3) promise to never again set foot on Smartphone/tablet arena again:

This part is crucial. Be a provider of software-interference, no competition, that Google has decided that they don't want more. Throw webOS in printers, automobiles, toasters, whatever, but just let the guys who know what they are doing in mobile do their stuff.

4) form the basis for the overall management of the product:

More cooks in the kitchen you can just make things worse, and that is why there should be the basis of the varieties (apart from HP) formed the largest contributors as a guiding hand for the product in the future. Major contributors get to discuss and guide future product. And if you want to build something in the project, which most of the veto? No problem — they just need to build it in their own branch. Think of it, sort of like Nokia (etc.)s Symbian foundation, minus the suck.

He earns HP back $ 1.2 billion, they spent on your Palm? Nope! However, they still Palm in patent Armory show for this. He will score the webOS throne as # 1 and # 2 of the platform in the mobile world? Nope! iOS and Android, locked down for the next few years, and there is very little that could change, but it makes it a viable contender against WP7 for that coveted bronze medal. It also makes a much more viable platform for third-party developers, if only because it will increase the number of purchased webOS devices above ... like, twelve.

HP ends up with the best webOS and they avoid, like they completely destroyed the platform. Partners of the platform — and one with great potential — in exchange for the allocation of human resources, they must highlight if they should examine it first of all, and they get help guide its future for download. Developers get third platform is developing for. (And Yes, in some ways, this makes the licensed webOS more justified patent attacks from all major parties, which have a formal hand in its development.)

This is not a big victory, but it's probably better to go to the HP.

Company:
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) is the communication and telecommunication equipment provider, Motorola Inc.. after spin-off Of mobile phones Motorola mobility Holdings, ...

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