The former CEO of Motorola, Rick Osterloh, is coming to lead Google’s new hardware division, per our confirmation with a Google spokesperson and re/code’s report. It’s the first time Google has unified all of its product lines under one roof, with one leader to boot.
Osterloh’s new responsibilities will include oversight of the Nexus program, Chromecast, the Pixel line, OnHub routers, ATAP (the experimental lab responsible for Project Ara) and finally, Google Glass.
The previously noted divisions now report to Osterloh, who left his head position at Lenovo-owned Motorola last month, and will operate together as Google’s united hardware front.
From an industry perspective, it makes sense to have all of Google hardware offerings under one set of watchful eyes. The move makes it more straightforward to deal with partners, and simplifies the organization overall.