Five Things Motorola Needs To Do If It Wants To Have A FutureFive Things Motorola Needs To Do If It Wants To Have A Future

The Good Times haven't visited Motorola in nearly two years. The company has struggled quarter after quarter to regain the success it saw earlier in the decade when its iconic Razr phones were new. How can it turn things around? Here are five ideas.1. Ditch MotoMagx And Choose Android: Motorola has spent valuable time and resources on its MotoMagx Linux-Java hybrid operating system. Not that I want to see that money wasted, but Google's Android platform is free and has a future. Motorola already has a team working on Android, and it needs to consolidate resources now more than ever. Scrap MotoMagx and focus on Android.

2. Scrap Current Design Language: Motorola has churned out phone after phone after phone that look nearly identical to the phones it has been selling for years. Many of Motorola's phones are nearly indistinguishable from one another. As Motorola should know based on the success of the original Razr, looks matter now more than ever. Consumers are picking phones that have personality and style. Motorola, you need to rediscover both.

3. Don't Give Up On Windows Mobile: Microsoft isn't making it easy with the long road map to Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Mobile 7, but Motorola desperately needs to hold onto enterprise customers. Giving up on Windows Mobile now (as I was told Moto is considering) would lead to a loss of those valuable enterprise dollars. Stick it out. Make some more WinMo 6.1 phones. Nay, make some good WinMo 6.1 phones. The MotorSurf isn't a bad start. Make some changes to that custom UI and Moto might attract more users.

4. Create A Superphone: Stop aiming everything at the middle of the market. Now more than ever, Motorola needs a killer high-end phone that will inspire and give the brand something to rally around. And I'm not talking about the Z10 Euro-focused banana slider. While the low-end and middle markets will keep Motorola in business, it's the high-end devices that really make or break your name. Motorola hasn't had such a device in years. It truly needs a device that competes with phones such as the iPhone, Storm, and N97 -- not just on a performance level, but on a "wow-factor" level. Shoot for the moon!

5. Do All Of This Yesterday: I know it takes time, skill, and resources to bring mobile phones to market, but Motorola is behind. It needs to speed up time to market. Make a big splash. Announce a hot new phone six months in advance like Apple and Nokia have. Give the Internet something to buzz about other than layoffs and stock drops. Get. New. Products. To. Market. ASAP.