Chicago Fading As A Tech Center

Crain' Chicago Business reports:

The loss of Motorola Inc.’s cell phone business would reduce Chicago to a pin-dot on the global technology map and set the stage for the dismantling of a giant that helped shape the region’s corporate landscape for generations.

The 80-year-old Schaumburg company said last week that it was considering a sale or spinoff of the woebegone cell phone business, which has lost sales and marketshare as consumers shun its offerings. Either move would deal a heavy blow to the Chicago area.

Motorola is the only Fortune 500 consumer-technology company based here. With 15,000 workers in Illinois, the company long has been a draw for both executive and technical talent, fueling the local economy and boosting Chicago’s profile on the global business scene.

Pin dot.