Sybase Acquires Cable & Wireless Unit

In a deal that makes it the world's largest multimedia messaging service interoperability provider, Sybase announced Tuesday it purchased Cable & Wireless' international MMS Hubbing service.

The company also entered a partnership with Cable & Wireless that gives Sybase exclusive worldwide rights to market and sell mobile data roaming services. This deal makes Sybase the largest mobile data roaming, or GRX, provider in the world.

As more mobile professionals utilize mobile data for applications, GRX becomes increasingly important because it enables subscribers to roam across multiple operators while still having access to their home network data services.

The deal gives Sybase 73 direct mobile operator customers, and with peering agreements, the company's GRX reach extends to almost 500 wireless operators.

Both moves will allow Sybase to offer its enterprise customers easier ways to provide their customers with information, applications, marketing, and customer service in an increasingly wireless world, said Marty Beard, president of Sybase 365, in an online interview.

Sybase has been a text messaging interoperability provider since 2006, when it purchased Mobile 365 and renamed it Sybase 365. It is the world's largest text and MMS provider between networks, delivering 100 billion messages a year. The division also provides developer tools to allow companies to offer wireless applications like mobile banking and mobile advertising.

"Messaging is the convergent platform for enterprise applications and a core part of our Unwired Enterprise strategy. Now, enterprises will be able to offer their customers access to all types of information anytime, anywhere, across any carrier network through a single platform only offered by Sybase," said John Chen, chairman, CEO, and president of Sybase in a statement.

The amount of the all-cash transaction is undisclosed.