siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/545091
By SV.internet.com Staff December 26, 2000 Handspring Inc. announced an agreement to acquire Mountain View neighbor Bluelark Systems, Inc. developers of the Blazer and BlueSky, a Palm OS Web browser and proxy server system designed to enable fast, seamless Internet access from handheld computers, such as the Palm-compatible Visor line. "With Bluelark's software and infrastructure, Web browsing will become a key application for Handspring products, in the easy and elegant style that our customers are accustomed to," says Handspring CEO Donna Dubinsky. Bluelark's core technology is a customizable mobile application platform called BlueSky, designed to give people a rich Internet experience from wireless-enabled handheld products. It also provides a product called Blazer, client software for handheld devices that connects to the Internet to provide rapid transport of Web content. Because the BlueSky infrastructure supports all major existing standards, content is optimized for viewing on a handheld display regardless of its origin. For example, Blazer can display optimized content from sources including HTML, WAP and cHTML. Initially, Handspring intends to bundle Blazer with its new VisorPhone product beginning in 2001. Handspring (NASDAQ) says it plans to purchase Bluelark Systems for up to 450,000 shares of Handspring common stock subject to approval by the shareholders of Bluelark and certain other conditions. |