BackWeb Pushes Into Wireless Through Acquisition

BackWeb Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq--BWEB), a provider of push technology, is looking to expand into the wireless world through an acquisition of the technology assets of Mobix Communications Ltd., a wireless technology provider in Israel, for approximately $16 million in cash and stock.

BackWeb has not acquired the company, but the company's wireless technology and rights, as well as four members of the Mobix engineering team: the co-founder, a chief architect, and two developers, according to Bill Heye, VP of product management for BackWeb.

"What this acquisition will do is help us kick off a new phase in our products where we will go from a delivery vehicle to PCs to a delivery vehicle to wireless devices. We'll add more and more methods of delivery to the system, and this is the first step to do that," Heye says.

BackWeb expects to have the Mobix technology integrated into Polite push system by the end of the year. The Mobix personnel will join BackWeb's 70-person development team in Israel.

Heye says Mobix is relinquishing the technology to focus on a more services-oriented business approach.