For a deal of this magnitude to go un-leaked before an official press release is just amazing, so I will give total kudos to the legal team behind this acquisition on keeping it well under wraps - a job well done. Now for the juicy part, the acquisition, and it going a lil’ something like this: Google has just announced that they have “entered into a definitive agreement” that will see them acquire Motorola Mobility for 12.5 Billion in cash, with an expected close by the end of 2011 or early 2012. The deal has already been approved by both boards in question, but still needs to be given the green light by the shareholders. According to the press release this acquisition is largely about super-charging the Android eco-system.

Google’s CEO Larry Page had this to say:

“Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

It’s all about the patents:

“We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to “protect competition and innovation in the open source software community” and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.”

When it’s all said and done, he who controls the patents, controls the industry and this acquisition is a prime example of that. More to come as we find out.

[via Business Wire and Google Blog]