Motorola ditching Windows Mobile?

Rumour has it that Motorola is ditching the Windows Mobile platform for its smartphone handsets in favour of Google's new Linux-based Android.

As reported over on BetaNews, the company has announced to the State of Florida that it is to shut down its Windows Mobile development centre in Plantation, Florida – with 77 jobs for the chop as a result, added on to the 4,000 jobs the company has already 'restructured' this month.

With the Windows Mobile development nixed, it's clear the company is hoping to concentrate on another mobile platform. While Motorola has experience with Symbian-based handsets, comments from an executive in the company's Spanish division claimed that Symbian production was to be greatly reduced this year to pave the way for a new handset based on Google's Android platform.

With no completely official announcement forthcoming from the company, it's hard to guess exactly where the future of Motorola smartphones lies – but that isn't stopping industry types speculating that Android will become the company's exclusive platform, with both Symbian and Windows Mobile ousted in favour of the open-source marvel. Whether that's the best move the company could make – especially when its financials are looking a mite peaky – remains to be seen.

With companies like HTC and General Mobile already committed to the platform, it's clear that – despite a somewhat shaky start in the T-Mobile G1 – Google's Linux-based open-source system is making waves in the industry. With Motorola clearly planning to produce Android devices – even if not exclusively – 2009 could well be the year that mobile Linux really starts to make an impact in the mainstream.

Are you hoping to see some impressive Android implementations come out of Motorola in the coming months, or should the company keep concentrating on its Windows Mobile handsets and not take the risk on a new platform? Share your thoughts over in the forums.