Handspring, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bluelark Systems, Inc. of Mountain View Calif., developers of Blazer(tm) and BlueSky(tm), a Palm OS(tm) web browser and proxy server system that enable fast, seamless Internet access from handheld computers. With this acquisition, Handspring can advance its development of handheld products and Springboard modules that provide a secure, standards-based web connection in a true pocket-size form.
Handspring will buy Bluelark Systems for up to 450,000 shares of Handspring common stock. Closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Bluelark and certain other conditions, and is anticipated to close in the first calendar quarter of 2001.
Bluelarkis 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. The Blazer experience is especially beneficial for viewing rich content on color display products such as the Handspring(tm) Visor(tm) Prism. Initially, Handspring intends to bundle Blazer with its new VisorPhone(tm) product beginning in 2001.
You can find more information on Bluelark at the companyis Web site.