GOODBYEMOTO
by John Paczkowski
Posted on March 26, 2008 at 12:04 AM PT
Motorola has finally taken a RAZR to its handset business. In the face of growing pressure to bolster its ailing stock price, Motorola (MOT) yesterday announced plans to divide itself into two publicly listed companies–one focusing on mobile phones and the other on broadband and mobility services.
“Our decision to separate our Mobile Devices and Broadband & Mobility Solutions businesses follows a review process undertaken by our management team and Board of Directors, together with independent advisers,” CEO Greg Brown said in a release. “Creating two industry-leading companies will provide improved flexibility, more tailored capital structures and increased management focus–as well as more targeted investment opportunities for our shareholders.”
On a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Brown said the decision to carve out its handset business was the result of an evaluation process announced in late January, not a move engineered to appease billionaire investor-provocateur Carl Icahn who sued the company in a Delaware court Monday demanding access to minutes of board discussions about the division’s potential spin-off.
