Microsoft Snaps Up Portuguese Mobile Services Company MobiComp
“Just less than a week back, Steve Ballmer ruled out a making-up-for-Yahoo acquisition spree. Today, his word remains in principle good, since MobiComp is just one company and has little to do with traditional search and advertising.”
Microsoft Thursday announced plans to acquire a Portugal-based MobiComp, as its name implies is a mobile-software company specializing in cell phone data backup and cell phone integration with online services to its family, beefing up its mobile communications business.
“MobiComp, which was founded in 2000, will become part of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business division.”
The Portugal-based company is known for providing a variety of software and services that allow mobile network operators to backup the personal information their customers have stored on their mobile phones or other devices and update notifications for postings on social networking sites.
The company also offers services for delivering ticker-style data to handsets, and for mobile publishing to web sites such as Facebook.
“People expect their phones to transmit the best experiences from PCs and the Web right to their pockets,” said Todd Peters, corporate vice president at Microsoft’s mobile communications business.
“Financing for the right solutions from companies like MobiComp will broaden the capabilities of Windows Mobile and Windows Live to help us provide the most innovative and seamless way to stay connected.”
MobiComp provides an array of mobile products to consumers and carriers, including: MobileKeeper, a suite of services for mobile back-up, social networking, and news reading; MobileKeeper Sharing & Communities, this service allows users to “create, share and download content, while building their personal communities and networks or publish content direct to blogs and social networking sites,” and Active mTicker, mobile news feed service.
Microsoft claims that 50 handset makers currently build on the Windows Mobile platform, and that 160 mobile operators in 55 countries carry Windows Mobile phones.
Among MobiComp’s customer base includes 11 mobile operators around the world, including Vodafone, clothing company Esprit, and a number of mobile carriers with millions of customers, besides Portugal’s and Saudi Arabia’s largest mobile carriers. The company says its services offer operators with ways of establishing closer and more profitable relationships with their customers.
As the MobiComp web site puts it: “Most importantly, they drive usage of sophisticated data services — creating new, sustainable and scalable revenue streams.”
The move symbolizes Microsoft’s biggest investment in Portugal following a national development partnership signed by Bill Gates two years ago. Microsoft plans to maintain MobiComp’s Portugal office as a general research and development center.
MobiComp, which is based in Braga, Portugal, will become part of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business division.
“MobiComp’s services would certainly set up nicely with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Windows Live strategies.”
The acquisition will be used to strengthen numerous services on the Windows Mobile smartphone platform as well as the Windows Live Web services division.
“Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.”