Google to cut Motorola workforce again

When Google purchased Motorola last year for some $12.4 billion there was all sorts of speculation about what the search engine giant's strategy would be. For the last seven months or so, it's been about trimming staff, reducing costs and streamlining the company's focus on expanding it share of the mobile device market.

Google is cutting about 1,200 jobs, which will reduce the headcount at Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. unit by more than 10 percent, reported the Wall Street Journal. The job cuts will reportedly affect workers in the U.S., China and India.

The layoffs are on top of a 20 percent reduction, about 4,000 workers, of Motorola's staff that started last August. Google also agreed in December to sells its Motorola Home business, which makes TV set-top boxes, to cable-equipment maker Arris Group for $2.35 billion.

The acquisition, Google's biggest takeover to date, boosted the search engine giant's patent portfolio and positioned it to better compete with rival Apple. Motorola, however, has continued to struggle, posting operating losses as its share of the smartphone market shrinks.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com