Motorola hires former Microsoft exec for new software venture

Andrew Sinclair, a former executive with the Skype division of Microsoft, will join Motorola Solutions as the company's first head of software.

Sinclair will lead the company's software organization, a new enterprise created to accelerate software innovation for public safety and commercial customers.

"This is a significant step in our march to becoming a more software-centric company," said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO, Motorola Solutions. "Andrew's track record of growing software-as-a-service businesses will accelerate the development of our suite of integrated software solutions."

As head of software, Sinclair will lead an integrated team focused on development, sales and delivery of software that provides critical intelligence to public safety and commercial users. The software enterprise will advance the Chicago-based company's portfolios of mobile applications and related services for users in the field, as well as its integrated software suite for personnel at the command center.

The team of software designers, developers and engineers also will be responsible for rapid incubation of new capabilities, with a focus on user experience design, cloud computing and analytics, including artificial intelligence.

Sinclair brings a proven track record of innovation and growth for SaaS businesses, having spent the last 15 years building and growing communication and collaboration SaaS solutions with Skype and Microsoft's Skype for Business.