Activist investor has probably failed in his bid to get onto the Motorola board, but it’s very close so the actual result may not be known for weeks. The rhetoric has toned down a bit, with Motorola CEO Ed Zander saying: “During the past few months, we have met with and listened to a large number of our stockholders, including Mr. Icahn, and we value their insights and perspective regarding Motorola…We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue building value for all of our stockholders”, reports Chron.com.
Icahn recognized that he didn’t get some of the large funds and so it would be difficult for him to win. “I congratulate them if they win. And I really hope they can produce what they say they will,” he said, adding that if they didn’t perform management should be replaced. “If Ed doesn’t do the job he says he’s going to do, you restructure this company…and there’s a lot of ways to do that. And you search for someone new,” said Icahn quoted in the Chicago Tribune.

New 3G handsets: Whether Ed Zander will be able to deliver will depend a lot on the new handsets to be announced next Tuesday. The new handsets will be 3G and based on Java technology, reports Reuters.