Media Experiences 2 Go

When I think of Motorola software I think of the IPTV set-top software deployed mainly outside the US, and I know I’m probably one of a very few number of Americans who make that mental connection. However, software itself shouldn’t be a stretch of the brain for most people who think about Motorola. Go beyond the sleek, shiny RAZR handsets and you find what can often make or break those mobile devices: the software operating on them.

I was reminded of how important software is to Motorola’s business when I traveled up to NYC last week for a press event. Put on by the mobile devices group, the event naturally had quite a number of Q9s, RAZR2s and RISR Z8s on display. The Q9 uses Windows Mobile 6 (with Motorola’s Good Mobile Messaging Technology). The RAZR2 and the Z8, however, operates on Motorola-built software. The RAZR2 uses a Linux/Java OS (or will at least in some versions), and the Z8 uses a Symbian OS. I’m unlikely to get my hands on a working Z8 any time soon, as they’re only available outside the US, but there’s a good chance I’ll be able to play around with it a bit more in the near future. From what I’ve seen of so far, the software may be its biggest selling point.  Which wasn’t the case with the original RAZR.