AfterDawn: News

Report: Google strangely tried to buy Cyanogen, makers of the custom Android ROM

According to a new report, Google tried to buy Cyanogen Inc, the makers of the popular and fast custom Android ROM, CyanogenMod.

Allegedly, Cyanogen's CEO said that Android boss Sundar Pichai "expressed interest in acquiring the firm" but Cyanogen declined, citing its fast growth and want for independence.



While on the surface the report makes sense, when digging deeper it doesn't really make any.

Cyanogen admits that the company is not making any real revenue, and if Google is looking to acquire for talent which is what is often done when acquiring startups - well, Google has no shortage of talented engineers. Google could want to buy Cyanogen to shut it down, but at just 1% of all Android installs, Cyanogen is hardly a scary competitor.

Most likely, Cyanogen's venture capital backers reached out to Google as they look to cash out, but it led nowhere. There have been rumors that Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo all looked into acquiring the company, but its founders are said to have been only accepting a $1 billion valuation.

Source:
Information

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 2 Oct 2014 22:56

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• 8 comments

• A5J4DX

  oh my... that would be something...
  

  3.10.2014 02:32 #1

• biglo30

  Yeah I'm glad they declined. Cyanogenmod and other AOKP have been very innovation for android and eventually some of these mods that they create make their way into android in the next update. Taking them away from the community would be a devastating blow because alot of people based their custom roms on cyanogenmod.
  

  
  

  3.10.2014 08:36 #2

• SProdigy

  1 Billion valuation! Brilliant thinking!

  3.10.2014 12:39 #3

• sternrulez

  I'm really glad they turned down all the offers, as I LOVE my OnePlus One with stock CM11. If this merger went through, I doubt I'd ever see a OnePlus Two, or whatever the next iteration is going to be called...lol!
  
  

  5.10.2014 12:14 #4

• pmshah

  One thing is for sure that Android modders will live on since it is based on open source Linux. There is a whole lot of Google stuff - garbage IMHO - that I can do without. Without CM i would be totally lost.
  
  BTW since sternrulez has mentioned it I will most certainly look at his combo as my next upgrade.

  6.10.2014 01:29 #5

• sternrulez

  Originally posted by pmshah: One thing is for sure that Android modders will live on since it is based on open source Linux. There is a whole lot of Google stuff - garbage IMHO - that I can do without. Without CM i would be totally lost.
  
  BTW since sternrulez has mentioned it I will most certainly look at his combo as my next upgrade. thanks PM! :) You won't be sorry with an OPO...3GB RAM, 64GB internal storage...blazingly fast...it rocks! Here's a link to get you started on your research: http://www.engadget.com/products/oneplus/one/
  

  6.10.2014 07:33 #6

• brettus

  Yep the OPO will be my next phone if I can acquire one...
  I currently have the Note 2 with CM11 installed and have always loved it with every previous phone I've owned!

  8.10.2014 02:27 #7

• sternrulez

  Originally posted by brettus: Yep the OPO will be my next phone if I can acquire one...
  I currently have the Note 2 with CM11 installed and have always loved it with every previous phone I've owned! It should be a bit easier to get one now since OnePlus has done away with the invite process, and are now selling them in batches. it's a limited time thing though, so there is still a bit of luck involved, but not nearly the hassle of "winning the lottery" by getting an invite..
  
  

  8.10.2014 10:01 #8