Jon Westfall
12-27-2006, 09:42 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2075664,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594' target='_blank'>http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,175...3119TX1K0000594</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Hewlett-Packard announced Dec. 21 that it plans to purchase Bitfone, a privately held company that develops mobile device management software. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase is expected to be completed by February 2007, after which Bitfone will be integrated into the Handheld Business Unit of HP's Personal Systems Group, HP officials said. The acquisition, HP officials said, is part of the company's strategy to increase its mobile enterprise business. It adds another element to HP's device management software portfolio, and is designed to help customers' manage their mobile infrastructure in a reliable, secure and cost-effective way, officials added." </i><br /><br />It seems that the same issues that necessitated a move from less secure desktop operating systems to more secure (i.e. Windows 9x codebase to Windows NT) is now coming to mobile devices. Money is to be made here, and hopefully this indicates that HP is far from dropping off the mobile device radar.