Motorola sells mobile email business to Visto

Motorola has sold its mobile email business subsidiary Good Technology to messaging services company Visto two years after the handset maker purchased Good for around $500 million. 

Visto, whose messaging services are offered through T-Mobile International and Vodafone, bought Good Technology for an undisclosed sum in a move that it said would help it compete in the mobile messaging services market. Motorola originally bought Good Technology in 2006 to help it compete against Research In Motion's BlackBerry service, and sold Good's mobile email service through AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless. The deal is expected to close by the end of February.

The move comes as Motorola is looking to cut costs and streamline its mobile devices unit, which has been a difficult business for the company. Visto has been involved in rounds of litigation recently as it has sought to defend its patent holdings on push email technology. The company reached a settlement with Microsoft last year and has a pending lawsuit against RIM over a patent dispute. 

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