PocketGear acquires Handango, becomes world's largest cross-platform app store
By Vlad Savov 
posted February 23rd 2010 6:00AM
posted February 23rd 2010 6:00AM
PocketGear Acquires Handango, Creating the World's Largest Cross Platform, Open App Store
PocketGear's App Store supports 2,000+ mobile devices and every major OS platform,
connecting consumers in 175+ countries with 140,000+ paid and free titles
Durham, NC – February 23, 2010 – PocketGear, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Handango, the leading provider of smartphone applications globally, creating the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles that are available for discovery and download by the more than 4 billion consumers worldwide using Android®, Symbian OS®, BlackBerry®, Windows Mobile®, Palm®, Linux, and Java® powered mobile devices. PocketGear and Handango are the two largest independent app stores and combined to date have generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues from customers living in more than 175 countries and using over 2,000 unique mobile devices.
With the acquisition, PocketGear's mobile app marketplace has been expanded to connect more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program with over 40 PocketGear-powered storefront and distribution partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. The reach of PocketGear's direct to consumer app stores has also expanded to include the largest independent app store, Handango.com, joining PocketGear's app store network that includes PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com. In addition, more than 1,000 app developers are now using PocketGear's developer storefront solutions to market and sell their mobile apps directly to consumers from their own websites and other marketing channels.
Upon closing, Jud Bowman will remain as President and CEO of PocketGear and Alex Bloom, current chief executive of Handango, will become Chief Operating Officer of PocketGear.
"Our vision is to facilitate an open app store ecosystem that supports every mobile device, every application, and every carrier network globally," said Jud Bowman, President and CEO of PocketGear. "By combining the two largest independent app store companies, we're creating significantly more scale and value for all of the stakeholders in the open app store ecosystem."
Bowman added, "Handset manufacturers, carriers, and media companies now have a single marketplace where they can quickly and easily connect with developers, source a catalog of apps developed specifically for their supported devices, and create a branded, revenue generating storefront and app discovery engine that works across all devices, platforms, geographies, and carrier networks."
"This is an exciting time in the app store market and we're thrilled to be joining forces with PocketGear," said Alex Bloom, CEO of Handango. "As we increase our scale, not only can we further accelerate speed to market of new devices and applications in a rapidly changing marketplace, but we're also better positioned to help our distribution and developer partners increase the overall revenues per download from both paid and free apps."
PocketGear was represented in this transaction by Kip Johnson of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC.
About PocketGear, Inc.
PocketGear is the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles available for discovery and download. To date, PocketGear has generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues for the more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program. PocketGear powers storefront and content solutions for over 40 partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies, including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. In addition, PocketGear operates the largest network of independent app stores, including Handango.com, PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com.
PocketGear is headquartered in Durham, NC with offices in Munich, Germany and Irving, TX.
For more information, please visit http://corp.pocketgear.com.
About Handango
Handango is the leading provider of smartphone applications globally for the BlackBerry®, Palm®, Windows Mobile®, Symbian OS®, and Linux platforms. Leveraging its 140,000+ apps, network of 23,000+ content partners, and vast distribution network, Handango delivers top-selling mobile applications including games, business and entertainment apps and productivity tools to millions of consumers. Applications can be downloaded via www.handango.com, partner Web sites, SD cards and Handango's proprietary on-device catalog, InHand, the industry's leading content delivery platform that allows consumers to purchase mobile apps directly from their smartphone and download them over the air. Handango's unparalleled content expertise has attracted numerous mobile industry partners, including Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Alltel, AT&T, 3UK, LG, SoftBank, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Best Buy, The CarPhone Warehouse, CNET, and AOL.
PocketGear's App Store supports 2,000+ mobile devices and every major OS platform,
connecting consumers in 175+ countries with 140,000+ paid and free titles
Durham, NC – February 23, 2010 – PocketGear, Inc. today announced the acquisition of Handango, the leading provider of smartphone applications globally, creating the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles that are available for discovery and download by the more than 4 billion consumers worldwide using Android®, Symbian OS®, BlackBerry®, Windows Mobile®, Palm®, Linux, and Java® powered mobile devices. PocketGear and Handango are the two largest independent app stores and combined to date have generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues from customers living in more than 175 countries and using over 2,000 unique mobile devices.
With the acquisition, PocketGear's mobile app marketplace has been expanded to connect more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program with over 40 PocketGear-powered storefront and distribution partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. The reach of PocketGear's direct to consumer app stores has also expanded to include the largest independent app store, Handango.com, joining PocketGear's app store network that includes PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com. In addition, more than 1,000 app developers are now using PocketGear's developer storefront solutions to market and sell their mobile apps directly to consumers from their own websites and other marketing channels.
Upon closing, Jud Bowman will remain as President and CEO of PocketGear and Alex Bloom, current chief executive of Handango, will become Chief Operating Officer of PocketGear.
"Our vision is to facilitate an open app store ecosystem that supports every mobile device, every application, and every carrier network globally," said Jud Bowman, President and CEO of PocketGear. "By combining the two largest independent app store companies, we're creating significantly more scale and value for all of the stakeholders in the open app store ecosystem."
Bowman added, "Handset manufacturers, carriers, and media companies now have a single marketplace where they can quickly and easily connect with developers, source a catalog of apps developed specifically for their supported devices, and create a branded, revenue generating storefront and app discovery engine that works across all devices, platforms, geographies, and carrier networks."
"This is an exciting time in the app store market and we're thrilled to be joining forces with PocketGear," said Alex Bloom, CEO of Handango. "As we increase our scale, not only can we further accelerate speed to market of new devices and applications in a rapidly changing marketplace, but we're also better positioned to help our distribution and developer partners increase the overall revenues per download from both paid and free apps."
PocketGear was represented in this transaction by Kip Johnson of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC.
About PocketGear, Inc.
PocketGear is the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles available for discovery and download. To date, PocketGear has generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues for the more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program. PocketGear powers storefront and content solutions for over 40 partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies, including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. In addition, PocketGear operates the largest network of independent app stores, including Handango.com, PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com.
PocketGear is headquartered in Durham, NC with offices in Munich, Germany and Irving, TX.
For more information, please visit http://corp.pocketgear.com.
About Handango
Handango is the leading provider of smartphone applications globally for the BlackBerry®, Palm®, Windows Mobile®, Symbian OS®, and Linux platforms. Leveraging its 140,000+ apps, network of 23,000+ content partners, and vast distribution network, Handango delivers top-selling mobile applications including games, business and entertainment apps and productivity tools to millions of consumers. Applications can be downloaded via www.handango.com, partner Web sites, SD cards and Handango's proprietary on-device catalog, InHand, the industry's leading content delivery platform that allows consumers to purchase mobile apps directly from their smartphone and download them over the air. Handango's unparalleled content expertise has attracted numerous mobile industry partners, including Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Alltel, AT&T, 3UK, LG, SoftBank, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Best Buy, The CarPhone Warehouse, CNET, and AOL.
"The number of actually useful apps has not been disclosed": See, now that's where the Apple App Store wins. Steve's always touting the number-of-actually-useful-apps on the App Store.
@joshuakarthik
Yeah and Luke Wilson is always touting the sheer amount.
@joshuakarthik
Usefull apps to Apple seem to be those that make them money or those they can add to their total.
@joshuakarthik - LOL, yeah - if I can't level a bookshelf then it doesn't have enough useful applications. 8^D
Creeky old PalmOS offered over 50,000 apps, more than the iPhone until very recently. The only problem is they all look like 1991. ;-(
With most modern OS's now coming with an App Store
How will these 2 companys (or 1 now) survive in the next few years, especially considering Window Mobile all versions upto 6.5.3 and palm OS are slowly being phazed out, as mostly those user would download apps from various wesite.
"in terms of the pure number of applications"
"number of actually useful"
You really had to give App Store a positive spin? But I actually wonder how many of the 140k apps available on the App Store there is actually useful - because *god* there is much 'pure' crap.
If we really had to narrow the catalogue down to great and useful applications (on App Store), we're probably talking a few thousands - which I find perfectly fine, but the numbers tell us nothing..
@Jakob
I thought the same thing. Spin struck me as more disturbing than the news struck me as interesting. Too bad.
@Jakob
It's called "moving the goal posts".
First bash companies for not having an App store.
When they get one, then bash them for not having the most apps.
When they get more apps, then go into "well how many of them are useful" bash, which is an absurd metric for measurement.
Who knows how many in any of these stores are useful! If someone needs a fart app, one that is all 3D, or one that is mostly text and check boxes, then it's useful.
@LAY I'm waiting for a "usefulness" factor to be developed that calculates the number of fart, flashlight, and soundboard apps against the total amount. Gee, I wonder if all those stupid "celebrity" apps will be considered a "win" and useful in the App Store...
@LAY
Is there a 3D fart app available? I'd find that useful. ~S
I though a lot if both companies catalog were apps for Palms that are not even made anymore and windows mobile which in a year or two will be gone? I wonder how many actually new apps they have for modern platforms.
Handago doesn't seem to be doing well recently. They keep having 20% offers every week.
Pocketgear.. the online store that never answers emails if you have a problem? and has no phone number?
@obobo Yep. It's funny...when PalmGear HQ started, everyone thought "Yay!" Then they started sucking and everyone thought "Boo!" Then Handango came along to compete and everyone thought "Yay!" Then Handango turned out to be run by jackasses and everyone thought "Boo!" Then they both kinda sucked and became mostly irrelevant and everyone thought "meh."
Now we're cheering their unholy union on as a competitor to the OEM stores? Color me confused.
Um... Palm. Does that mean PalmOS or WebOs? Because if it means web os that would b great. If it means Palm OS, well....
@iCello PalmOS, though you can run those in WebOS using the Classic emulator.
Palm's Software Store, sounds a nice name and Handago doesn't seem to be doing well recently. Just like a wireless presenter, it's so complicated.
http://www.espow.com/wholesale-2-4ghz-wireless-presenter-with-usb-1-1-or-usb-2-0-for-receiver.html
a sete palmos Download via rapidshare megaupload hotfile, a sete palmos torrent download.
There is a lot happening in the mobile appstore space and it will be interesting to see what comes of it all. One store that I think is worth checking out is http://www.appboy.com. It currently supports 4 mobile platforms and have stated plans to add more in the future.