Motorola Solutions, Inc. is an American technology, communications, and security company, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.[2] It is the legal successor of Motorola, Inc., following the spinoff of the mobile phone division into Motorola Mobility in 2011.
On January 4, 2011 Motorola Inc. split into two companies: Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.[3] Motorola Solutions, the public safety and enterprise security side of the business, began trading as a separate independent company under the NYSE symbol MSI.[3]
In April 2011, Motorola Solutions and China’s Huawei Technologies settled a legal dispute over trade secrets, which cleared the way for Motorola Solutions to complete the sale of its networks business unit to Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for $975 million in cash.[4] As part of the transaction, approximately 6,900 employees, and responsibility for supporting customers of Motorola Solutions’ GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, WiMAX and LTE products and services transferred to NSN.[5]
In 2012, the company released the LEX700 mission-critical handheld radio, the world’s first handheld public safety LTE device. The device combined rugged hardware with the ability to connect with public safety LTE, cellular, IP and P25 networks[6]
In January 2014, the company announced its acquisition of Twisted Pair Solutions, a provider of push-to-talk over broadband applications for secure, real-time communication on any device.[7] Twisted Pair created an integrated communications system that allows different devices (smartphones, tablets, and PCs) to talk to each other in business, public safety, and military applications.[7]
Later that year, the company completed the sale of its Enterprise business, comprising rugged mobile computers, tablets, and barcode scanners, to Zebra Technologies for $3.45 billion in cash.[8] As part of the sale, approximately 4,500 Motorola Solutions employees from locations throughout the world were transferred to Zebra.[8] Assets transferred to Zebra included two earlier Motorola-acquired companies: Symbol Technologies (acquired in 2007) and Psion (acquired in 2012).
In February 2015, the company acquired Emergency CallWorks, a provider of Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) call-taking software for public safety. The company developed technology that consolidates information from multiple 911 calls reporting the same emergency into a single source that can be shared with emergency professionals.[9] In April of that year, they acquired PublicEngines, a crime analysis firm.[10][11] The company is based in Utah and provides cloud-based solutions for data analytics of crime, predictive policing strategies, and citizen engagement.[10]
In August 2015, the company received a $1 billion investment from the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners,[12] As part of the transaction, Silver Lake was granted two seats on Motorola Solutions’ Board of Directors.[12]
In February 2016, the company completed its acquisition of Airwave Solutions, the UK-based operator of the British public safety radio network responsible for providing mission-critical voice and data communications to more than 300 emergency and public service agencies comprising police, fire, rescue and ambulance services across England, Scotland, and Wales.[13]
In March, 2017, Motorola Solutions acquired Interexport SA.[14]
In August 2017, Motorola Solutions announced it completed the acquisition of Kodiak Networks, a privately held provider of broadband push-to-talk (PTT) for commercial customers.[15][16] Its clients included AT&T, Vodafone, KPN, Verizon, Telefonica, Bell Canada, and Vivo.[15]
In December 2017, two-way radio manufacturer Hytera filed antitrust litigation against Motorola Solutions in alleging that Motorola Solutions is engaging in anti-competitive practices that are unlawful under the Sherman Act and Clayton Act. Hytera's complaint alleges that Motorola Solutions prevents Hytera from competing in the U.S. marketplace by enforcing inflated prices and engaging in a monopolistic scheme that includes forcing LMR dealers to drop Hytera's products.[17]
In March 2018, Motorola Solutions acquired Avigilon, a Canada-based company,[18][19] for about $1 billion.[20] Avigilon designs, develops, and manufactures advanced security surveillance solutions.[18]
Also in March, the acquisition of Airbus DS Communications was finalized.[21] In 2017, Motorola Solutions had announced plans to purchase the North American assets of Airbus DS Communications, including its VESTA platform.[22]
VaaS International Holdings, a data and image-analytics company, was acquired by Motorola Solutions in January, 2019.[23][24] VaaS’s products include an image capture and analysis platform with fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras.[25] The platform is driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) and provides vehicle location data to public safety and commercial customers.[19]
In March 2019, Avtec was acquired.[26] The company is based in South Carolina and develops software-based, dispatch console solutions used in the commercial transportation and utility industries, as well as in public-safety.[26]
In July 2019, WatchGuard was acquired.[19][27][28] The company makes in-car video systems and body cameras for law enforcement.[29][27]
In March 2020, Lunarline was acquired.[30] The company is a cyber security and professional services firm that provides training, FedRAMP, penetration testing, and third-party assessments.[31]
Also in March, IndigoVision was acquired.[19][32] The company is a Scotland-based manufacturer of end-to-end video security solutions.[32]
In August 2020, the company acquired Pelco Inc., a California-based supplier of CCTV cameras and components.[19] Pelco was previously a Schneider Electric brand.[33]
Callyo, a cloud-based mobile applications provider for law enforcement based in St. Petersburg, FL, was acquired in August, 2020.[25][34] Callyo is a software as a service company (SaaS).[25] It has two applications, 10-21 and Callyo, which were reportedly to be integrated into Motorola Solutions’ Command Central software suite.[34]
In September, Delta Risk, an MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider), was acquired.[35] The company is a Security Operations Center as a Service (SOC-as-a-Service) provider; and its ActiveEye platform provides security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR).[35]
In July 2021, the company acquired Openpath Security Inc., a cloud-based, mobile access control provider.[36] Openpath is a cloud-based mobile access control provider and supported Motorola Solutions’ video security and access control offerings.[36][37]
In November 2021, the company acquired Envysion, a provider of enterprise video security and business analytics for quick-service restaurant and retail industries.[38]
In December 2021, Motorola Solutions acquired 911 Datamaster, Inc., a Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) data solutions provider.[39][40] The company’s products help ensure the precise positioning of emergency calls for faster responses from first responders.[39][40]
In March 2022, the company acquired Ava Security, a global provider of cloud-native video security and analytics based in London, U.K.[41]
Also in March, TETRA Ireland Communications LTD, the provider of Ireland’s National Digital Radio Service, was acquired by Motorola Solutions.[42][43]
In April 2022, the company acquired Calipsa, a UK-based video analytics start-up.[44]
In May 2022, the company acquired Videotec, an Italy-based video security manufacturer.[45]
In August 2022, the company acquired Barrett Communications, an Australia-based HF/VHF communications systems provider.[46]
In October 2022, the company acquired Futurecom Systems Group, a leading provider of radio coverage extension solutions for public safety agencies, based in Ontario, Canada.[47][48][49] The company designs and manufactures in-vehicle, fixed, and portable radio frequency repeaters and extenders.[48]
In December 2022, the company acquired Rave Mobile Safety.[50][51][52] Rave, based in Massachusetts, provides mass notification and incident management solutions to help organizations and public safety agencies communicate during emergencies.[50][51][52]
In December 2023, the company acquired IPVideo, a New-York-based smart sensor company and creator of the HALO Smart Sensor.[53][54] The Sensor monitors air quality, and detects gunshots, abnormal noises and motion, and has emergency keyword detection.[54]
In February 2024, the company acquired Silent Sentinel, a UK-based rugged camera company.[55][56] Silent Sentinel's security systems target the Homeland Security market.[56][57] Silent Sentinel’s cameras can identify anomalies from up to 20 miles away.[56][58]
In July 2024, Motorola Solutions acquired Noggin, a Sydney, Australia-based provider of cloud-based business continuity planning and critical event management software.[59]
Products
Motorola Solutions products and solutions include:
public safety radio systems, including P25 radio[60]
On July 5, 2021, Norway's largest pension fund KLP said it would divest from Motorola Solutions, together with 15 other business entities implicated in the UN report for their links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying it was "a very straightforward decision" given the use of the company's video security and software in border surveillance.[74]
Patent litigation
Beginning in March 2017, Motorola Solutions filed a series of lawsuits against China-based two-way radio manufacturer Hytera in the United States, Germany, and Australia, as well as with the United States International Trade Commission (USITC). The complaints allege that Hytera is intentionally infringing on patents owned by Motorola Solutions and utilizing trade secrets stolen by three former Motorola Solutions employees who left to join Hytera.[75] Motorola Solutions is seeking to stop Hytera from selling and importing its devices in these countries. In April 2017, the USITC announced that it had decided to institute an investigation into Hytera's trade practices.[76]
In August 2021, Motorola Solutions filed a 52-page complaint[77] against Verkada with the United States International Trade Commission, alleging that Verkada cameras and software infringe upon patents held by Motorola Solutions subsidiary Avigilon.[78][79] Verkada subsequently filed a lawsuit against Motorola Solutions in the California Northern District Court in September 2021,[80][81][82] arguing that Motorola Solutions has "sought to effectively shut Verkada's business down".[83][82] Later in September, the International Trade Commission initiated its investigation into Motorola Solutions' complaint,[84] with Verkada stating in its response that it does not infringe upon any of Motorola Solutions' patents.[85]
