Moto hires new platform chief as board battle rages

Motorola Inc. said it hired a platform technology guru for its mobile devices business, a pragmatic move that reflects the ailing handset giant’s efforts to revive its fortunes-albeit one that will take precious time to be felt in the market.
Whether that news actually reaches investors through the fog created by ongoing blather between dissident investor Carl Icahn and the company remains to be seen. That sideshow may continue to obscure Motorola’s ongoing self-resurrection if Icahn is elected Monday to Motorola’s board.
Alain Mutricy, an 18-year veteran at Texas Instruments Inc., is set to join Motorola as senior VP for platform technology. He will report to Terry Vega, the executive in charge of products and technology and co-leader of the mobile devices business.
Mutricy will define and direct global strategy for silicon and software platforms, according to Motorola. The handset vendor has embarked on a program to diversify its semiconductor suppliers, simplify its platform strategy and speed time to market for its handsets. Those factors were touched upon in the company’s announcement of Mutricy’s hiring.
From 2004 until now, Mutricy served TI as general manager for the chip company’s cellular systems solutions business, responsible for chipsets for GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 3G and the company’s OMAP products.