Invest in Finland

Airwide acquires First Hop

10/12/2007

On 27th November, Airwide Solutions, a leading provider of next-generation mobile messaging infrastructure and applications, announced that it has acquired First Hop, a pioneer in mobile service control and gateway technologies based in Espoo, Finland. Technologies developed by First Hop enable telecommunications operators to rapidly implement new mobile services, business models and targeted content and campaigns. According to Airwide, the acquisition means that more than 120 mobile operators will now be served by the combined company, securing it the number one position in the market for mobile service control and messaging gateways.

In a press release, Airwide said that First Hop’s products, technology and team will be an integral part of Airwide’s mission to provide the most advanced and effective solutions for driving mobile messaging usage and revenues and enabling operators to leverage multiple delivery channels and next-generation infrastructure in new and more powerful ways. Airwide also said that together, the companies are uniquely positioned to address the emerging industry requirements for Mobile Messaging 2.0, which emphasizes open, interoperable systems and is guiding the evolution of the mobile messaging industry. 

Meeting operator needs now and in the future

In the Airwide press release, Kevin A. Wood, Airwide’s CEO, said “The mobile messaging industry is poised for great change, and Airwide today is making a solid statement that we are going to be the company that drives the next stage of the market. Operators continue to struggle with driving new revenue from mobile messaging services, and they are grappling with how to develop new business models such as ad-sponsored services. Combining First Hop’s service control strengths and multi-channel delivery strategy with Airwide’s next-generation mobile messaging infrastructure we address these issues head-on, and our expanded vision will help us to meet operator needs now and in the future.”

Timo Laaksonen, CEO of First Hop, said “Airwide and First Hop together are a real-world example of the sum being greater than the parts. By combining First Hop’s strengths in service lifecycle management, context, profiling and personalization with Airwide’s next-generation mobile messaging infrastructure we are taking the market to an entirely new level.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Jari Ängeslevä, Investment Director, Leader of the ICT team, Invest in Finland, said “Mobile marketing is finally catching up and a number of players are positioning themselves to be the in the winners’ league. This acquisition is a perfect example of cutting-edge mobile technologies being developed in Finland with world-class expertise. I look forward to similar deals in the future.”

Further information:

 http://www.airwidesolutions.com/nov2707.html

 http://www.firsthop.com