IXI Mobile, from the start-up portfolio of entrepreneurs Gidi Barak, IXI's chairman, Amit Haller, IXI's president and CEO, has signed a significant contract with Swisscom Mobile, Switzerland's largest wireless communications operator.
Swisscom Mobile, part of the Vodafone group plc (NYSE; LSE; FSE:VOD), is launching Ogo, a wireless messaging service developed by IXI, which will supply it with 65,000 Ogo devices. The contract is valued at €6 million over a three year period. 15,000 Ogo devices will be provided immediately, with the remainder, an expected 50,000 devices, to be supplied over the next two years.
Ogo is a mobile instant messenger. In addition to the instant messaging function of the pre-installed MSN Messenger, the device supports the receipt and transmission of e-mails. With Ogo, data exchange takes place via the Swisscom Mobile network using GPRS, thus providing virtual nationwide coverage throughout Switzerland. Ogo competes primarily with Research in Motion's (RIM) Blackberry device, and is targeted primarily at young residential customers and users of MSN Messenger.
IXI VP and general manager EMEA Guy Moskowitz said that Ogo service should be available in Israel in a year.
As far as is known, this is IXI's sixth contract. The company has thus far signed deals with AT&T Wireless (now Cingular Wireless), as well as four European cellular service providers who have not been named. IXI was founded in 2000; to date, the company has raised $60 million in funding.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Sunday, November 20, 2005