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| Industry | Mobile datasoftware & services |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 2000 inRedwood City, California, U.S.[1] |
| Founder | Alain Rossmann |
| Headquarters | Redwood City, California, United States |
| Website | openwave.com |
Openwave Systems Inc. (formerlysoftware.com,phone.com, andLibris, Inc.) is a division ofEnea. It provides video traffic management and 5G mobile products.
Two of Openwave's former products launched as private companies; Openwave Mobility and Openwave Messaging. Openwave contributed to early developments in theMobile Internet.
Openwave pioneeredHDML, a precursor toWML. Openwave was a founding member of theWAP Forum.
The company started in 1996 as Libris, Inc. and focused on developing mobile client software for "pull" services based onInternet Protocol while the general mobile market was rapidly growing "push" services based onSMS. In 1996, it changed its name to Unwired Planet, Inc. and launched its proprietary software platform for Internet access and web browsing, known as up.link (browser and network server/gateway).
In 1999, with the introduction ofWAP standards, it acquired Apiion, Ltd. ofBelfast (formerly Aldiscon Northern Ireland, Ltd.), changed its name to Phone.com and went public on theNASDAQ (NASDAQ:PHCM). In 2000, as Phone.com's revenue and stock price grew, it acquired severalstartup companies with niche products for integration across its product line. In 2001, it merged with Software.com and renamed the merged company Openwave Systems, Inc. With Software.com's large installed base of email servers atInternet service providers, Openwave expanded by providing its mobile operator customers with software infrastructure for mobile email applications and other multimedia messaging (MMS) applications.
The company'smobile browser (written by Bruce Schwartz[citation needed]) software shipped on over one billion handsets,[2] at one point approx 49% of the global browser-capable device shipments, over 70mobile operators.[1]
In 2002 it acquired SignalSoft Corp., a developer of location-based services, who developed the first platforms to provideE911 services as per the first FCC (Federal Communications Commission) requirements.
In 2004 Openwave acquired Nombas Inc., the developer of Cmm (a scripting language with C-like syntax) which was later enhanced to supportECMAScript and renamed ScriptEase.
In January 2006, Openwave closed the $120 million acquisition ofMusiwave, a French music application services provider for mobile phones founded byGilles Babinet. In November 2007, the company sold Musiwave toMicrosoft for $46 million.[3] In 2007, Openwave faced allegations ofsecurities law violations related to financial reporting, though the outcome of these allegations is not detailed here.[4]
In February 2008, Openwave launched a contextual advertising system for mobile phones.[5]
In May 2008, theSan Francisco Business Journal reported thatNASDAQ had given Openwave a delisting warning for failing to properly report some financial results.[6]
On June 30, 2008, Openwave issued a press release stating: "thatPurple Labs has acquired the Openwave mobile phone software business, which develops and markets its browser and messaging client technologies.".[7]
On October 18, 2010, Openwave announced: "that it licensed certain patents to Mobixell/724 Solutions Inc" as part of an intellectual property protection arrangement.[8]
On May 1, 2012, Openwave announced: "the completion of the sale of its Mediation and Messaging product businesses to Marlin Equity Partners." Openwave changed its name back to Unwired Planet. They are now exclusively focused on licensing and enforcement of IP that they claim is "foundational to mobile communications."[9] In response to claims that the company has become apatent troll, Unwired Planet's general counsel Noah Mesel states: "We happen to be at the point in our business cycle where what's left is apatent portfolio."[9]
The former product businesses have also been re-launched as two privately held companies, Openwave Mobility Inc. and Openwave Messaging Inc.
In 2013 Openwave Messaging acquiredCritical Path.
On March 2, 2016, Openwave Messaging was acquired by Synchronoss Technologies and the company started trading under Synchronoss Messaging. As of April 2016, Openwave Mobility continued to operate as a Marlin Equity Company.
In February 2018, Enea purchased Openwave Mobility for $90 million.[10]
Major current products include:
Openwave Mobility
Earlier products included: