Smartner gets Microsoft smarts — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{Acquires PDA mail connectivity} Smartner gets Microsoft smarts

30 Apr 2003 at 12:52 GMT Timo Poropudas

Smartner Information Systems is buying the UK-based wireless software company Commtag Ltd. The all share transaction creates the new pan-European market leader for mobile office solutions and will considerably accelerate the availability of business mobility solutions throughout the European marketplace. "Smartner's and Commtag's products and competencies complement each other very well," said Robert Rasmus, the CEO of Smartner and also the new company. "Commtag's core competence is with Windows PocketPC PDAs whereas Smartner has mobilized e-mail and calendar applications to GPRS phones and Symbian-based phones. This will widen our offering significantly from the day one," Rasmus said. Smartner has had been working closely with Nokia and IBM and the Commtag purchase will bring it into Microsoft world as well. "The competence in always-on mobile email brought by Commtag is an essential part of Smartner’s future solution offering. In particular Commtag’s award-winning Duality product, which is based on 'push' technology, will boost Smartner’s position as a forerunner of mobile office solutions," said Rasmus. Smartner Information Systems, based in Helsinki, Finland, has developed a mobile office solution for hosted environments. The Smartner solution - Office Extender - enables operators and service providers to offer enterprise customers new services including easy and secure access to corporate email and calendaring. The solution has already been deployed by a number of European operators such as Swisscom Mobile and Vodafone Ireland. The mobile email products will continue to be available through Commtag’s channel partner network. The acquisition is being made as an all share transaction. The two entities will immediately begin to operate as a combined company and will be called Smartner Information Systems Ltd. Smartner CEO Robert Rasmus continues as CEO of the new company. Smartner’s investors Eqvitec Partners, IT Provider and Sitra as well as Commtag’s investor Amadeus Capital continue backing the new company, ensuring a solid financial future for the business. Financial details were not disclosed.