Motorola, Symbol: Is Honeymoon Over?

So much for an extended honeymoon. Although Motorola and Symbol just got hitched in January, it appears that some employees are already getting the seven-year itch, The VAR Guy hears.

Says one Symbol insider: “While Symbol was no model of efficiency, Motorola is a massive bureaucracy. Just huge. I’m reading Dilbert on a regular basis to stay sane.”

Another tipster says there’s a bit of confusion in the ranks. One example: Motorola will likely require Symbol’s IT managers to take ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) training. At first glance, that’s commendable. But if Motorola managers would take a closer look at the situation, they’d discover that many Symbol veterans completed ITIL training prior to the merger. Several insiders who completed the training last year aren’t sure if they’ll have to repeat the process. Motorola is still weighing that question, The VAR Guy hears.

Still, The VAR Guy may be overstating the problems. The former Symbol headquarters on Long Island, now re-branded as Motorola’s enterprise mobility business, appears to be performing better than its parent these days.