Samsung is looking to buy its way to excellent software

Samsung Electronics is a massive conglomerate that makes everything from internals (like the iPhone processor) to TVs and smartphones. But their weak link has always been the quality of their software–the Galaxy S3 is a beautiful phone, but many of its Samsung software add-ons and Touchwiz its self are disappointing. But they’re looking to fix that, and are willing to spend some money to do it. A senior Samsung executive told Reuters:

“The message we’re getting from the top is to raise software capability, and buy rather than build, if needed,” Kang Tae-jin, senior vice president of Samsung’s Media Solution Center, said in an interview. “Our focus on software is primarily aimed at driving hardware sales, rather than making money. We have a full range of handsets in so many countries, and, to better market our products, we thought it’s better to start our own software business.”

There are challenges to buying software companies and keeping them productive. Last year, Samsung bought online music service mSpot and rolled it into their own Music Hub service. In the past, Apple bought mapping companies shortly before releasing Apple Maps, and you know how that’s gone. But in an increasingly commodified Android hardware market, Samsung needs something to differentiate it from the Motorolas and the HTCs, and that something is increasingly looking like software. Here’s hoping they buy something better than an Android skin.