The move comes just weeks after Google acquires Motorola’s mobile division and it should bolster Android with a lot more intellectual property. The Motorola deal gave Google access to 17,000 patents, while the IBM deal gets in an additional 1,023.
Following the Motorola deal, Google CEO Larry Page said the new patents would help Google protect itself from anti-competitive threats from Apple, Microsoft and other companies. The same probably applies to the latest deal, which was apparently struck back in July.
Of course, Google is likely to face a lot of challenges from Apple and Microsoft, who still own a heap of IP and don’t hesitate to use it against the competition.
More here.