Motorola jilts Google for Skyhook's location services

Skyhook Wireless announced Motorola will deploy its location positioning and context solutions across the manufacturer's portfolio of Google Android smartphones. Per terms of the agreement, Motorola will integrate Skyhook's Core Location technology directly into its Android platform, leveraging the firm's combination of GPS, WiFi and cellular services to pinpoint user whereabouts across a series of location-aware applications. According to Skyhook, Motorola is the first Android device maker to swap out Google's native location services in favor of a rival solution.

The Skyhook partnership is not Motorola's first significant Android content and services tweak--earlier this year, the Motorola Backflip, AT&T's first Android smartphone, hit stores with Yahoo as its default mobile search engine instead of Google's own search tool. The Motorola/Skyhook announcement also follows on the heels of news another Android manufacturer, Samsung, will preload branded Yahoo search and web services on its Android smartphones.

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

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