Microsoft plans to pick up Portuguese phone program provider

By Stephen Withers
Friday, 27 June 2008 08:45

Strategy

Microsoft plans to add a Portugal-based software company to its family, beefing up its mobile communications business.

MobiComp provides software and services that allow mobile network operators to backup the personal data their customers have stored on their mobile phones or other devices.

The company also provides services for delivering ticker-style data to handsets, and for mobile publishing to web sites such as Facebook.

"People expect their phones to deliver the best experiences from PCs and the Web right to their pockets," said Todd Peters, corporate vice president at Microsoft's mobile communications business.

"Investing in the right solutions from companies like MobiComp will extend the capabilities of Windows Mobile and Windows Live to help us provide the most innovative and seamless way to stay connected."

MobiComp's customer base includes 11 mobile operators around the world, including Zain (Kuwait), ALJAWAL (Saudi Arabia) and Syriatel (Syria). The company says its services provide operators with ways of establishing closer (and presumably 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."

No information has been released concerning the price to be paid for the privately held company.