Google Buys Modu for £3 million – Modular Android on the way?

It seems not a week goes by without one of the super companies buying out another company, last week Microsoft snapped up Skype for a cool $8.5 billion and today Google has announced a takeover of their own. They have bought the intellectual property rights of micro handset maker Modu for £3 million, granted its a smaller deal than Microsofts but the ramifications could be important all the same.

Modu will be thrilled with the deal after the company all but folder due to lack of sales at the end of 2010, their initial idea of interchangeable handsets looked like a winner at first but then smartphone’s evolved leaving the firm dead in the water. Google has seen potential in the patents owned by Modu and has bought the exclusive rights to use them in the future.

At this stage no statement has been made by either side, it is thought the modular nature of the patents could be used to add functionality to Android OS in the future, or like many business deals simply to stop their competitors using the tech on their handsets. As for Modu, regretfully the money will be used to pay off debtors and employees who are still waiting to be paid.

The firms owner, Dov Moran, is pumping the remainder of the money into a new top secret venture which he has built from scratch, perhaps this isn’t the last we’ll see of him.

Via: Engadget