Google Deal to Affect 4 Magic Formula Stocks

It is not hard to see why. OEMs can license Android for free, and customize it the way they like -- two advantages over WP7. There has really been no angle for Microsoft to exploit.

Now it has a powerful one: Google is a direct competitor now. It is hard to see Google not working close with Motorola to craft an integrated hardware/software experience. Otherwise, why buy a handset maker? Microsoft is not a competitor in the hardware market. This comes at a great time for the firm, with the new "Mango" release of WP7 coming up next month, plus the OS hitting the mainstream as Nokia's (NOK) official smartphone OS. Microsoft has a golden opportunity to really take some share from Android. And this is not even mentioning potential distractions to Google's search business, where Microsoft also competes.

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Effect: Slightly Positive

Google's purchase of a handset maker is an implicit nod to the integrated hardware and software model that has been so successful for Apple today, and for Research In Motion (RIMM) in the past. Tight integration of hardware and software has been key to success there, and even today Android is plagued with fragmentation issues as hardware OEMs "customize" the operating system, and major software updates are a major headache for users to apply.

There is one other integrated smart-phone and tablet maker people forget about: Hewlett-Packard. The company paid just $1.2 billion for Palm last year (a far cry from Google's entry price), and has a well-regarded mobile OS in webOS, as well as competitive smart-phone (Pre) and tablet (TouchPad) products. Any shake-up in the current trajectory of Android is a positive for HP, which possesses the technical, manufacturing and marketing muscle to compete in this market. More than anything, though, Google just validated HP's strategy. I don't see it having much near-term financial impact on HP, however.

MIPS Technologies (MIPS) Effect: Potentially Positive

One of the overlooked aspects of this deal is that Motorola Mobility contains one of the top set-top box businesses in the world, and also has significant market share in cable modems. Similarly, Google has its own set-top software product in Google TV, although to date it has been a flop.

MIPS, a licensor of microprocessor designs (similar to ARM Holdings (ARMH)), has a large presence in both set-top boxes and modems, but recently has reported that mobile devices and set-top boxes are converging, where set-top boxes are moving more towards an app model to support such services as Netflix (NFLX), YouTube, Hulu, Pandora and other Internet media.

This one may be a bit of a stretch, but MIPS has a strong relationship with Motorola, appearing in many of Motorola's products, such as the top-of-the-line DCT digital cable set-top boxes. MIPS has been working closely with Google, trying desperately to break into the Android handset market, where they have seen limited success. It is not inconceivable that MIPS can leverage its existing relationships with both firms to play a key part in future set-top box and, one hopes, handset products.

At the time of publication, Alexander held shares of IDCC and Microsoft.

This commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet guest contributor program. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of TheStreet or its management.

« First ‹ Previous 1 2