LAS VEGAS-Advancing its wireless data initiative, Leap Wireless International Inc. acquired a pair of wireless data applications providers to support the location-based myAladdin wireless technology the company acquired last year.
The deals include plans to purchase Backwire, a publisher of customized e-mail newsletters and developer of one-to-one content customization technologies, and all the proprietary technology and intellectual property of Spotcast Communications. Spotcast produces advertising-sponsored mobile-phone service technology allowing advertisers to target advertising based on a caller’s demographic profile, lifestyle interest and time of call.
“These three recent data-related acquisitions are expected to give us the building blocks to develop a very simple, intuitive service that provides information to consumers the way they like it best-by voice,” said Harvey White, chairman and chief executive officer of Leap Wireless.
Backwire’s personalization engine and Internet content editors are expected to give Leap the ability to select, edit and aggregate relevant Internet content that can be delivered straight to the customer’s wireless phone, customized to personal preferences and demographic data.
Leap said Spotcast’s service, which is only licensed for use outside of the United States, will provide functionality in intelligent profiling, targeted content selection and distribution, data mining, data warehousing and real-time media and advertising campaign management, allowing content providers to fine-tune their demographic targets and frequency over the Internet.
Sue Swenson, president and chief operating officer for Leap, said the data service will use a combination of voice- and screen-activated delivery to provide customers with a personalized wireless data experience. This will allow customers with older, non-wireless data phones to still have access to data services without having to purchase a new handset.
“The simplicity of our easy-to-use voice interface is designed to appeal to the mass consumer, a market we understand well,” Swenson said. “After trialing the service and talking extensively with our customers, we are creating a personalized, comfortable new service that we think will attract a new group of people to the world of wireless data.”
The service will not only push pertinent information to the customer’s wireless handset, but will use the time between when a number is dialed into the handset and when the phone begins to ring to deliver personalized voice snippets of information to the customer. The information will then prompt the user to touch a number on the keypad to hear more about the delivered news.
In addition, the personalization services are designed to set-up quickly with just a couple of questions during the sign-on process. Then, through the combination of follow up queries and learning the customer’s usage patterns, Leap said the service would continue to learn and adapt to the user.
“We look at data not as a product, but as an enabler,” said Doug Hutcheson, Leap’s senior vice president of wireless data development. “Most of our Cricket customers are not interested in receiving stock quotes, but, instead are interested in receiving information relevant to their lifestyle, including movie times and local news.”
Hutcheson noted Leap’s goal was to turn wireless service into a true information medium, like newspapers, radio, television and the Internet.
With the acquisitions, Leap said it will open an East Coast office near Alexandria, Va., and add nearly 60 employees, including Internet content editors, technical experts, software developers, e-marketing specialists and executives.
While not giving a specific date for rollout of data services or pricing models, Hutcheson said he expects the commercial implementation to begin in selected markets by the middle of the year. The as-yet- unnamed service will be provided as an add-on feature to the entire Cricket customer base.
Leap also announced it will use Northwood Technologies Inc.’s deciBel Planner wireless telecom software solution to design and optimize its CDMA network.
The Windows-based software is designed to combine RF prediction and spatial analysis capabilities enabling efficient build and optimization of wireless networks.
