Motorola acquires location solutions developer Aloqa

Motorola (NYSE:MOT) has acquired location-based software and technologies developer Aloqa in an effort to enhance its MotoBLUR user interface. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Aloqa solutions leverage user context (e.g., location, identity and social relationships) to call attention to places, events, bargains and related opportunities within their immediate vicinity--more than a million smartphone users worldwide have downloaded the Aloqa mobile application, which supports platforms including iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. Aloqa will join the Motorola Mobility unit, which comprises the company's Mobile Devices and Home businesses--Motorola Mobility is expected to spin off early next year.

The MotoBLUR UI manages and integrates communications tools spanning from email to social networking, syncing updates, posts, messages and photos from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Gmail. According to Motorola, MotoBLUR will integrate Aloqa's location-triggered push platform to connect users with geo-specific content in real time.

Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha said last month the device maker's marketing efforts will no longer focus as extensively on MotoBLUR, instead shifting the company's promotional emphasis to its products. Motorola has not advertised MotoBLUR in conjunction with the release of its new Android-powered Droid X smartphone, prompting questions about the UI's future--speaking on the company's recent Q2 earnings call, Jha said the challenge lies in communicating MotoBLUR's value proposition within the confines of the average 30-second television commercial.

"We have decided that we will focus on the value proposition of products and not MotoBLUR as a brand name in its own right," Jha said. "MotoBLUR continues to be important and I think you will see increased functionality in MotoBLUR. This notion of push-Internet is going to be very important to us, but as a brand name, which we make matter in front of consumers as a brand name, I don't think that's going to be our focus going forward, but we see the experiences that we deliver is being relevant and differentiating us." Jha did not comment on insider buzz indicating the forthcoming Android 3.0 operating system update (codenamed "Gingerbread") will feature dramatic UI improvements effectively negating the value of custom skins like MotoBLUR.

For more on the Motorola/Aloqa deal:
- read this release

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