Zebra Technologies Buys Motorola Solutions’ Enterprise Unit

Barcode and printing specialist Zebra Technologies has bought Motorola Solutions’ enterprise business in a $3.45 billion deal.

Motorola Solutions, whose enterprise unit manufactures ruggedised mobile computers and tablets for use in industry, will focus on its public safety and commercial operations, which have 50,000 customers and provide the bulk of the firm’s revenue.

“With the successful close of this transaction, Motorola Solutions is now singularly focused on the very core that our company was founded and built upon – a business that continues to help build safer cities and thriving businesses around the world through innovative mission-critical communications solutions,” says Greg Brown, Motorola Solutions chairman and CEO.

Motorola Solutions sale

Around 4,500 Motorola Solutions employees will move to Zebra as part of the transaction, which will allow the company to offer a greater range of mobile devices to its customers. Zebra manufactures barcode tracking and printing technologies and provides products for Amazon’s inventory and supply chain among others.

“This transformative acquisition creates one company with unparalleled capabilities and leading global brands in our industry,” says Anders Gustafsson, CEO of Zebra Technologies. “Together, we can provide the building blocks of Internet of Things solutions, as customers worldwide increasingly take advantage of data analytics and mobility to improve business performance.”

The deal is the latest fragmentation of the former Motorola, which separated into Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility in 2011. The latter was sold to Google in 2012 and again to Lenovo earlier this year for £1.76bn.

Motorola Solution’s most recent product announcement was the Symbol TC70 mobile computer, an Android powered device boasting increased durability, long-lasting battery life and business specific functions like scanning and data capture.

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