RIM’s nightmare teams with Visto — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{Promises protection from NTP’s lawyers} RIM’s nightmare teams with Visto

15 Dec 2005 at 21:14 GMT Timo Poropudas

Visto Corporation today announced that it had signed a licensing agreement with NTP and that NTP had acquired an equity stake in Visto.

Visto says in its press release that NTP’s patents, which include a broad spectrum of claims centered on the transmission of wireless data, complement Visto’s own significant IP portfolio of 25 patents that relate to mobile access to email and data.

The agreement gives Visto access to NTP’s patents for the life of those patents, providing Visto’s customers and partners with access to Visto’s industry’s leading technology in the mobile email market and stability in these turbulent times.

“This license agreement further reinforces the strength and validity of NTP founder Thomas Campana’s life-long work in the mobile communications industry as an inventor and a visionary,” said Donald E. Stout, co-founder of NTP, Inc.

Protection from NTP’s lawyers

“Additionally, this is a clear win for mobile email users everywhere as it provides them with a viable alternative to RIM that protects them from any NTP litigation risk. Users of Visto Mobile can be assured of access to mobile email and data as they are licensed to use NTP’s intellectual property. We are excited about our ownership stake in Visto’s future,” Stout said.

“As an inventor committed to protecting and fostering innovation, I respect the right to protect and defend intellectual property,” said Daniel Mendez, co-founder and senior vice president for Visto.

“Mobile users now know that Visto provides a safe and secure harbor that today Blackberry cannot offer its own customers,” said Brian Bogosian, president, chairman and CEO of Visto. “Visto’s open solution gives users the freedom of choice to access personal or corporate mobile email from nearly any mobile phone. With 25 patents in this market bolstered with the protection of the NTP license, it is clear that Visto is a technology leader in providing push email and will be a viable alternative long after other players have seen their solutions silenced.”

During the past year, Visto has gained rapid momentum, with Visto Mobile currently available from more than 20 of the leading wireless operators around the world on more than 60 mobile phones from the industry’s top manufacturers.

NTP has won a significant victory over RIM in US courts. The companies have been wiling to settle the case with money but the presiding judge has not approved the settlement.

Over the years NTP has been able to sign patent agreements with many companies that have licensed the technology earlier from RIM. Nokia is one of the companies with double license.