By Wailin Wong
| Motorola will keep its mobile devices headquarters in Libertyville at
least through the company’s planned split into two standalone, publicly
traded entities in the first quarter of 2011, co-Chief Executive Sanjay
Jha said Monday.

Jha will lead the mobile devices and home businesses as one company when
the planned separation takes place. The home unit has operations in
Boston, San Diego and Horsham, Pa. Jha told shareholders at Motorola’s
annual meeting that the company’s presences in those cities, as well as
Libertyville, “will continue at the point of split.”

Jha’s
remarks to reporters after the meeting indicated that his options
post-separation remain open. After the split, “we will evaluate our
needs at the time” for locations, he said, adding that Libertyville will
stay an important base for mobile devices.

Earlier this year, Jha made comments to The Wall Street Journal that
suggested he was thinking of moving the mobile devices business to
California. Pressed on Monday about the headquarters decision, Jha said
the issue is not a “driving priority” for him at this time.

Co-CEO Greg Brown told shareholders that his standalone business, which
will consist of the enterprise mobility and networks units, will have
more than $11 billion in sales and about 25,000 employees after the
separation.

Jha’s company will have between $11 billion and $13 billion in sales and
fewer employees than Brown’s company, though executives weren’t able to
provide a specific estimated headcount.

In response to a shareholder question, Brown said his company will
consider restoring a dividend after the separation. Economic conditions
and the need to preserve cash ahead of the split prevent Motorola from
currently offering a dividend, Brown said.

The mood at the annual meeting, held Monday evening in Rolling Meadows,
was slightly more positive than in past years. Several shareholders
praised Jha for his work so far in turning around the mobile devices
business, where he is building a smartphone portfolio based on Google’s
Android operating system. Last week, Motorola posted
better-than-expected financial results for the first quarter, and the
company’s shares have risen 28 percent since May 2009.

Motorola’s mobile devices unit is planning to release about 20
smartphones this year, shipping between 12 million and 14 million of the
devices.

One of the future products rang inside Jha’s pocket while he was
addressing reporters. He reached for it, but then paused.

“That’s a phone I’m going to launch, so I’m not going to take it out,”
he said.