Sun Microsystems Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Pixo Inc., makers of Java-based server technology, to manage distribution of digital content to mobile phones and PDAs.
The cash-based acquisition of the San Jose, Calif. company will boost Sun’s position in mobile data services, and provide a presence in digital rights and access management for content distribution, according to Sun, which did not reveal the transaction’s dollar amount.
Pixo’s software, called Pixo Mobile Download Server, enables service providers to deliver secure content, Sun said.
“We’re filling out another piece of the puzzle (with) the delivery of digital content into the device,” said Sun’s Eric Chu, director of the Java 2 Platform Micro Edition (J2ME) platform, in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Pixo software provides a mechanism for provision of content, said Jennifer Hom, Sun marketing manager for the software systems group in Santa Clara.
“What a corporation will want is a centralized way to manage how their corporate assets and data are distributed to these mobile devices across desktops,” Hom said.
In addition to content management, the software enables network operators and enterprises to customize subscriber interfaces, and allow rapid downloads of secure digital content, including Java applications, Sun said.
Pixo will become part of Sun’s Project Orion platform, for converging Sun software offerings into an integrated software system for the Solaris and Linux operating systems. Pixo’s software will be integrated with Sun products such as Sun One Portal Server.