stockrowWhat it does
Motorola Solutions sells safety and security technology to public safety agencies, governments, defense organizations and businesses. Its products help customers communicate, monitor places and coordinate responses to incidents. The company is based in Chicago and is the successor to Motorola, Inc., which was organized in 1928. Greg Brown is its chairman and chief executive officer.
The business has three main technology lines. Mission Critical Networks includes two-way radios, communications infrastructure and mobile networks used where reliable voice and data connections matter. Some of its mobile networking technology supports communications in remote or contested environments without fixed infrastructure. Video Security and Access Control includes fixed, body-worn and vehicle cameras, sensors, access controls and software for managing footage. Command Center provides software for public safety work, from an emergency call through dispatch, response and case closure.
Motorola Solutions also connects these products into a system. For example, a school panic button can notify law enforcement, initiate a lockdown, share live video with responders and send notifications. The company sells equipment and software as well as installation, network management, maintenance and cybersecurity services. It also offers cloud-based services and subscriptions, including camera hardware subscriptions for law enforcement.
How it makes money
Motorola Solutions generates revenue by selling equipment, building and integrating communications systems, and providing software and services. It operates through two reporting segments: Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. Its three technology lines span those segments rather than matching them one-for-one.
Products and Systems Integration sells radio devices and infrastructure, installs communications networks and integrates equipment into customers’ operations. It also sells video and access-control hardware. The segment generated $7.3 billion in revenue in FY2025. Software and Services generated $4.4 billion and includes network support, managed services, video software and Command Center applications.
Network support can include repairs, technical assistance, preventative maintenance, monitoring, software updates and cybersecurity. Managed services can cover some or all of the operation of a communications system owned either by the customer or by Motorola Solutions. Customer systems often last for years or decades, creating demand for upgrades and continued support.
Some revenue comes from subscriptions and hosted services. Law enforcement customers can obtain cameras through hardware-as-a-subscription offerings, while cloud solutions are available as single-year or multi-year services. Contract payment terms vary, and some projects are invoiced as implementation milestones are completed. Those milestones can include delivery, installation and system acceptance.
FY2025 revenue was $11.7 billion; Q3 2026 revenue grew 12% from a year earlier. The company ended Q3 2026 with $16.6 billion in backlog. Backlog consists of orders Motorola Solutions believes are firm, although future events can change the amount ultimately recognized as revenue.
| Product or service | Revenue, FY2025 | Share | Change on the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Critical Networks (MCN) | $8.6 billion | 37.0% | 6.75% |
| Product | $6.8 billion | 29.0% | 4.90% |
| Service | $4.9 billion | 21.0% | 12.6% |
| Video | $2.1 billion | 9.07% | 10.4% |
| Command Center | $915.0 million | 3.92% | 14.8% |
Customers and how it sells
Motorola Solutions serves public safety agencies, government and defense customers, and enterprises such as schools, hospitals, businesses and stadiums. Its video customers also include transportation systems, utilities, factories, airports and retailers. The company serves more than 100,000 customers in over 100 countries.
Government purchasing is spread across federal, state, county, municipal and departmental bodies. The U.S. government, through contracts with its branches and agencies, accounted for approximately 8% of consolidated net sales in 2025. Those contracts include armed-services customers. All U.S. government contracts, and certain other U.S. government-agency contracts, can be canceled at the customer’s convenience.
Motorola Solutions sells directly through its own sales force, which tends to focus on its larger accounts. It also uses independent dealers, distributors and software vendors. The software partners provide customized applications for particular customer needs.
The United States generated $7.9 billion of revenue in FY2025, or 67.9% of the total. The United Kingdom generated $603.0 million and Canada $433.0 million. In Q3 2026, the company reported a Louisiana order covering radio services, mobile video and command-center solutions over a 10-year period.
| Region | Revenue, FY2025 | Share | Change on the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED STATES | $7.9 billion | 67.9% | 6.69% |
| Other | $2.7 billion | 23.3% | 12.0% |
| United Kingdom | $603.0 million | 5.16% | 5.42% |
| Canada | $433.0 million | 3.71% | 11.6% |
Suppliers and costs
Global contract manufacturers make the majority of Motorola Solutions’ products, including at facilities in Mexico and Malaysia. The company also manufactures, assembles, customizes, stages and integrates products in the United States. It uses subcontractors where it lacks geographic coverage or needs services it does not provide itself.
Some materials and components, including memory, come from single-source vendors. A disruption, capacity constraint or insolvency at one of those suppliers could interrupt supply or raise costs. Imported products and components are also subject to duties; U.S. trade actions contributed to higher import duties for the company in 2025.
Motorola Solutions carries parts and replacement inventory to meet delivery and warranty commitments. It may also stock lifetime-buy inventories when suppliers’ product life cycles are shorter than its own. The company has been qualifying additional suppliers and components, paying higher prices for supplies and making some sales-price adjustments.
Research and development is another cost: spending was $970 million in 2025. That work supports Mission Critical Networks, Video and Command Center, using internal staff as well as development partners and engineering firms.
- Revenue$11.7B
- Cost of revenue−$5.6B
- Research and development−$970.0M
- Selling, general and administrative−$1.9B
- Other operating costs−$207.0M
- Operating income$3.0B
Competitive position
Motorola Solutions competes in markets sensitive to technological advances. Customers consider product quality and reliability, technical capabilities, cost-effectiveness and industry experience.
In Mission Critical Networks, named competitors include Airbus, Hytera, L3Harris Technologies and Tait. In Video Security and Access Control, competitors include Axis Communications, Axon Enterprise, Genetec and Verkada. In Command Center, competitors include Axon Enterprise, Hexagon, RapidSOS and Tyler Technologies. Axon Enterprise is named in both video and command-center markets.
Motorola Solutions offers customers an integrated system connecting communications, video, access control, data and analytics. Its network customers often operate systems for years or decades and purchase upgrades, maintenance and security services. The company also owns patents covering areas such as radio technology, wireless networks, software and video security, and sells through a network of dealers, distributors and software vendors.
Our reading: Long-lived customer systems and the services attached to them provide a meaningful source of customer continuity, although competitors can still win new business. Our reading: Connecting radios, video and command-center software can make the combined offering harder to replace than an individual product, but its value depends on customers using those connections. Our reading: Patents and distribution support the business, though the company does not rely solely on intellectual property to establish its market position.
| Competitor | Where they compete | Threat (our reading) |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus | Mission Critical Networks | Medium |
| Hytera | Mission Critical Networks | Medium |
| L3Harris Technologies | Mission Critical Networks | Medium |
| Tait | Mission Critical Networks | Medium |
| Axis Communications | Video security and access control | Medium |
| Axon Enterprise | Video security and command-center technology | High |
| Genetec | Video security and access control | Medium |
| Verkada | Video security and access control | Medium |
Growth opportunities
Motorola Solutions invests in new products and enhancements across its three technology lines, both internally and through acquisitions. Areas of investment include mobile tactical communications, video analytics, cloud software, cybersecurity and applications that connect public safety workflows.
The company acquired Silvus Technologies in 2025, adding mobile ad-hoc networking technology to Mission Critical Networks. Motorola Solutions has expanded capacity in Los Angeles and is bringing additional capacity online in Salt Lake City. It also acquired Defend, which adds drone detection and cyber-takeover mitigation capabilities to its networks business. The company is integrating Defend into its AWARE real-time crime-center platform.
Motorola Solutions is refreshing its D-Series radio network infrastructure and says the refresh is in the early stages of a multi-year cycle. It says infrastructure refreshes can also bring long-term support and service contracts, including cybersecurity and software agreements. In Q3 2026, the company reported revenue growth in both segments and all three technologies, with acquisitions contributing $211 million of revenue growth during the quarter.
The company expects approximately 13.050 billion in revenue for the full year 2026. It says its addressable market is approaching 100 billion. Those expectations and market-size estimates are Motorola Solutions’ own.
- $8.2BFY2021
- $9.1BFY2022
- $10.0BFY2023
- $10.8BFY2024
- $11.7BFY2025
- $13.1BFY2026 guidance
Structural risks
- Government demand depends on budgets and appropriations. Funding constraints, shutdowns, changes in priorities or reduced defense spending could affect customers’ purchasing. U.S. government contracts can also be canceled at the customer’s convenience.
- Communications and security products are used in operational settings where failures matter. Products that do not meet customer expectations or applicable standards, or actual or perceived system or service failures, could harm results or reputation.
- Cybersecurity threats could disrupt Motorola Solutions’ systems, those of suppliers and outsourcing partners, or systems it provides and sometimes operates for customers. A breach or disruption could affect operations and sales.
- Single-source components and outsourced manufacturing expose the company to supply interruptions and higher costs. Motorola Solutions has also faced higher import duties and higher prices for components.
- Laws governing AI, biometrics and video analytics could make products more difficult or costly to offer, require changes or prohibit some uses. The company could also face regulatory and litigation risks.
- Some customers request vendor financing. If Motorola Solutions cannot sell the resulting receivables on acceptable terms, it may retain exposure to those customers’ credit quality.
Bottom line
Our reading
Motorola Solutions combines equipment sales and system installations with software, support and managed services attached to long-lived customer networks. Its integrated products and existing relationships can support continuity, while government funding, contract cancellation rights and the reliability of critical systems remain material exposures. Recent acquisitions expand its tactical communications and drone capabilities, but also add integration and supply-chain demands.