Rick Osterloh, former president of Motorola, is coming back to Google to run a new division and unify the company's disparate hardware projects.
According to the online publication re/code, a Google rep confirmed that Osterloh has rejoined the high-tech and Internet search company Google as its newest Senior Vice President. Osterloh will report to CEO Sundar Pichai and run the new hardware product line.
The same publication reports that Google has struggled for years to ensure a unified management of its various hardware initiatives. The company was striving to deliver products that consumers actually use, moving delicately to handle its business partners.
In this context, now Osterloh will come to oversee Google's new hardware division. This centralized hardware department will focus on Nexus devices and also include a suite of products called the "living room."
In his new role, Osterloh will take over hardware development on Google's flagship Android phone as well as its OEM partnerships. He will work closely with Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android SVP, who will now focus more on platform and software development.
Osterloh will also manage Google's development of the TV streaming stick, one of its best-selling hardware devices. In the matter of consumer hardware, Osterloh will manage the development of the new Pixel C device that runs on Android and Chromebook laptops.
The wireless home router OnHub that used to belong under the Access company within Google's Alphabet, now it is directly under Google and Osterloh. Google's modular phone effort, Project Ara and portions of the experimental hardware lab now report to Osterloh as well. Project Aura, the new team that is building the next version of the wearable headgear Google Glass, is also moving under Osterloh.
During Google's ownership of the hardware maker Motorola, Osterloh worked his way up the ranks. Following the exit of Dennis Woodside for Dropbox, Osterloh moved from head of product management to president of the business.
Following Google's sale of the Motorola business to Lenovo, Osterloh remained as the head of the company, but amid a broader reorganization at the Chinese hardware company, he left last month.
According to Computerworld, this move could help make life easier for Google's chip and hardware partners working on different projects with different parts of the companies. This also hints at Google's plans for the Google Glass, the living room, ChromeOS and Nexus.
