The background to Google's takeover of Motorola can be broken down into two aspects. These are the blocking of offensives by competitors such as Apple in the patent war that has recently been intensifying between global IT businesses, and the laying of groundwork for acquiring an independent mobile ecosystem like that of Apple.

Indeed, Google recently lost to Apple in a bid to acquire around 6,000 telecoms-related patents from Canadian telecoms equipment firm Nortel. Its takeover of Motorola, however, has reportedly secured it 17,000 patents.

The future repercussions have two sides. Firstly, those in the "Android camp," such as Korean smartphone manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech, can now expect support from Google in patent battles with firms such as Apple or Microsoft.

But if, in the long term, Google builds up Motorola's smartphone business while simultaneously abandoning its open OS policy, Google may turn into a "second Apple," operating an exclusive business strategy.

If this happens, Motorola, too, may resurface as a powerful competitor to manufacturers in the Android camp such as Samsung and LG. Google has stated that it will maintain Android's open system and operate Motorola as a separate enterprise, but nobody can predict which direction it will take its business in future.

There is also a possibility that Google may lead reforms to achieve a fusion of hardware and software that goes beyond mobile phones, like Apple.

In the business world, friends soon become enemies and vice versa, while success can be swiftly followed by failure. This phenomenon is particularly striking in the IT world, where technology is rapidly developed and alliances are made and broken frequently.

Failure to lower dependency on one particular business or technology, or to acquire a business structure based upon independent technology, can transform cooperative relationships into subordinate ones.

The basic strength to respond to market trends is also important. Just as Apple and Google have conquered the smartphone market, the global IT industry is being reorganized to center on software.

On the other hand, Korea's IT industry continues to grow centered on hardware. This is because the market has taken shape centered on large hardware firms, while small and medium software businesses have had their livelihoods trashed.