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Handspring Press Release Archive
HANDSPRING ACQUIRES BLUELARK SYSTEMS TO BRING WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS TO HANDHELD COMPUTER FAMILY
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF., (Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000) - Handspring, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAND) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bluelark Systems, Inc. of Mountain View Calif., developers of Blazer™ and BlueSky™, a Palm OS™ web browser and proxy server system that enable fast, seamless Internet access from handheld computers. With this acquisition, Handspring can advance its development of handheld products and Springboard modules that provide a secure, standards-based web connection in a true pocket-size form.
Handspring, a leading innovator in the handheld computing industry, will buy Bluelark Systems for up to 450,000 shares of Handspring common stock. Closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Bluelark and certain other conditions, and is anticipated to close in the first calendar quarter of 2001.
Donna Dubinsky, president and CEO of Handspring, said, "With the Internet such an important part of people's everyday lives, it's important to make it easier for people to access information from wherever they are. With Bluelark's software and infrastructure, Web browsing will become a key application for Handspring products, in the easy and elegant style that our customers are accustomed to."
"Through this acquisition, the Bluelark team is joining forces with a leading innovator in the handheld computing market. Together, we believe we will have the resources and expertise to build and widely distribute leading products for wireless Internet access," said Simon Mawby, CEO of Bluelark Systems.
Bluelark's core technology is a customizable mobile application platform called BlueSky, designed to give people a rich Internet experience from wireless-enabled handheld products. It also provides a product called Blazer, client software for handheld devices that connects to the Internet to provide rapid transport of web content. Because the BlueSky infrastructure supports all major existing standards, content is optimized for viewing on a handheld display regardless of its origin. For example, Blazer can display optimized content from sources including HTML, WAP and cHTML. The Blazer experience is especially beneficial for viewing rich content on color display products such as the Handspring™ Visor™ Prism. Initially, Handspring intends to bundle Blazer with its new VisorPhone™ product beginning in 2001.
ABOUT BLUELARK
Bluelark Systems provides leading-edge technology designed to power the delivery of content to mobile devices. Based on the BlueSky Mobile Application Platform, Bluelark develops server infrastructure and client applications for device manufacturers, wireless ISPs, carriers, and corporations. Bluelark Systems is privately held and is located in Mountain View, Calif.
ABOUT HANDSPRING
Handspring is a leading innovator in the handheld computing industry. The company develops, manufactures and markets a family of expandable handheld computers for a broad range of markets and customers. Founded in 1998, Handspring's flagship technology is the Springboard platform that provides a simple and easy method for hardware and software expansion. Today Handspring sells its Visor line of handheld computers, along with a line of Springboard expansion modules and accessories, at Handspring.com and through select Internet and retail partners in Asia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to: Handspring's ability to advance its development of products, following the acquisition of Bluelark, that provide a secure, standards-based web connection in a true pocket-size form; the degree to which Web browsing will become a key application for Handspring products; Handspring's future success in deploying wireless Internet products noted for their easy and elegant style; the combined companies' ability to build and widely distribute leading products for wireless Internet, and Handspring's plans to bundle Blazer with VisorPhone in 2001. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors including, among others: the companies' success in closing the transaction and combining the two companies; Handspring's ability to integrate Bluelark technology with existing and future Handspring products; consumer acceptance of and demand for wireless Internet functionality, and the rapid pace of technological change and competitive developments in the handheld computer and wireless Internet industries. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described in Handspring's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Handspring assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Handspring and the Handspring logo are trademarks of Handspring, Inc. and Blazer, BlueSky, Bluelark and Bluelark Systems are trademarks of Bluelark Systems, Inc. Such trademarks may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
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