Funambol today introduced the release of Funambol v7, a major new version of its flagship software. Funambol v7 includes enhancements to the company's mobile clients, portal, server, software development kit (SDK), system management and admin capabilities. Many new features are included in the Community Edition, the open source version of Funambol, which can be downloaded at https://www.forge.funambol.org/download/. Several premium capabilities, primarily those required for large-scale deployment at service providers, portals and mobile operators, are only in Funambol's commercial Carrier Edition.
Market trends are converging to create a major opportunity for service providers and mobile operators - mobile email for the mass market. To seize this opportunity, service providers can deploy a solution that is based on open source for the broadest device compatibility, and supported by advertising to foster adoption among cost-conscious users. This is the key message in a new white paper released by Funambol, Inc., the leading provider of Mobile 2.0 messaging software powered by open source.
Funambol today announced that FuseMail, an innovative provider of outsourced email, has selected its push email and PIM sync solution for deployment to 200,000 small and medium business (SMB) customers. FuseMail selected Funambol due to the benefits that an open source push email solution provides: broad device support, robust capabilities and superior value. FuseMail will provide its SMB users with the ability to access email on a wide variety of smart and feature phones, including BlackBerries and Windows Mobiles. FuseMail will also enable users to sync PIM data (e.g. contacts, calendars, tasks and notes) between their cell phones, such as the iPhone, and email clients such as MS Outlook.
Funambol today announced that it has secured $12.5 million in Series B funding, led by mobile-focused venture capital firm Nexit Ventures. Castile Ventures participated as a new investor and was joined by existing investors, Walden International and HIG Ventures. The new financing brings Funambol's total funding to $25 million. The company will use the proceeds for continued growth in the push email market, to advance product R&D and to accelerate global expansion, particularly in Europe and Asia.
Perhaps no segment in mobile data remains as untapped as wireless e-mail... But the industry has had trouble addressing the needs of low-end professionals and consumers who largely appear unwilling to spend even a modest sum to get on-the-go e-mail. So a handful of messaging providers -- like so many other players in mobile -- are looking to advertising to foot the bill... They're all vying for a piece of an ad-supported mobile messaging space that will explode from a $1.5B industry in 2006 to generate $12B by 2011.
Funambol today announced that the AGPLv3 has received formal approval by the Open Source Initiative (OSI). Funambol led the process of the license's approval by the OSI after adopting AGPLv3 in November. It was the first company to adopt the license, which closes the "ASP loophole".
Funambol today announced the availability of an important new white paper detailing the opportunity for mobile operators and service providers to turn mobile email for consumers into significant new revenue. The free white paper, Open Source Push Email & PIM for the Consumer Market, is immediately available.
