Since expanding its business around a mobile application service provider model, JP Systems Inc. recently presided over the launch of a wireless Internet portal in India called Netxcell.com, the first customer to license the full range of JP Systems’ technologies.
In addition, the company added Novatel Wireless Inc. to the list of RF manufacturers licensing its InfoBeam technology, joining 3Com Corp., IBM Corp., Motorola Inc., Glenayre Technologies Inc. and Handspring.
With an ever-increasing number of players entering the wireless or mobile ASP market, JP Systems hopes to separate itself from the pack on the strength of its wireless connectivity solutions and the clout of its partners.
“This whole wireless data business is still being defined,” said Dayakar Puskoor, JP Systems’ chief executive officer. “We’re glad to see everybody jumping in, but we’ve been doing this for years.”
The company’s core technology is InfoBeam, which dot-coms or corporate enterprises may use to extend content wirelessly. InfoBeam takes existing content and optimizes it for various network transmission protocols and markup languages. JP Systems’ other products, such as One-Mail wireless e-mail extension and InfoBeam.net wireless portal and content service, exist primarily to promote InfoBeam technology.
The company was one of the first to provide wireless communications solutions for Palm Computing devices, which at the time required connecting the organizer to a Glenayre pager. This history with the popular Palm devices played a role in the Novatel agreement, under which all Novatel Palm OS modems for Cellular Digital Packet Data networks will be shipped with JP Systems’ One-Touch Mail wireless e-mail application for Palm devices. InfoBeam technology also will be included on a CD-ROM, which users may choose to download to their modems. Adding InfoBeam technology means users may access the InfoBeam.net service.
If the Novatel deal is a more traditional one for JP Systems, the deal with India-based Netxcell.com represents the direction in which the company is moving. Essentially, Netxcell.com is licensing the full range of JP Systems technology and services to extend its local content and applications to wireless users.
“Netxcell will be providing the local content and JP Systems will provide the InfoBeam technology to enable it wirelessly,” Puskoor said.
Netxcell is developing various applications designed for the Indian market, such as a bill payment service that can be used from wireless phones. In India, most bills are paid in person, often resulting in long lines.
In addition, Netxcell will license the JP Systems-enabled services to carriers and other companies in India. JP Systems also made an equity investment in Netxcell.
