EO Inc. Acquires Pensoft Corp.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — December 9, 1993 — EO Inc., an AT&T company, Thursday announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Pensoft Corp., the leading developer of information management software for the EO Personal Communicator.
EO, producer of the world's first Personal Communicators, will use Pensoft's database architecture as a central information repository to expand communications services and enable content delivery from the information superhighway for its devices. EO will also continue to market and support Perspective, Pensoft's information manager, which is already designed into every AT&T EO Personal Communicator.
"Pensoft's data architecture, combined with EO's wireless access to the nation's information superhighway, is a powerful enabler for content publishing," said Alain Rossmann, president and chief executive officer of EO.
"Pensoft has developed a breakthrough product with Perspective, and simultaneously created a data environment that allows customers with AT&T EO Personal Communicators to retrieve, store and manage a rich fabric of information from stock quotes and airline schedules to multimedia data."
With a built-in modem and a cellular telephone, AT&T EO Personal Communicators use the cellular or wired communications infrastructure to allow users to place calls and send and receive faxes and electronic mail, anywhere, anytime.
"The acquisition of Pensoft strengthens EO's market position," said David Atkinson, AT&T Consumer Products vice president of personal communications.
"Through EO we are bringing together the best technology components from companies such as Pensoft, as well as from AT&T Bell Laboratories, to build Personal Communicators that are the next generation of intelligent cellular phones. The strength of Pensoft's data architecture and their understanding of the communications challenge make this an ideal blending of efforts."
"We have worked aggressively over the past several years to create a compelling information environment for communications intensive professionals," said John Zeisler, president and chief executive officer of Pensoft. "With this acquisition, Pensoft's technical and marketing teams can accelerate the product development process."
At the closing of the agreement, most of Pensoft's employees will become employees of EO Inc. Robert Roblin, Pensoft's vice president of marketing, will assume the duties of EO's vice president of marketing, reporting to Rossmann, effective immediately.
In June 1993, AT&T purchased a majority interest in EO Inc. On Aug. 13, 1993, AT&T announced the intention to merge EO Inc., and GO Corp., developers of the communications-oriented PenPoint operating system, into a single company with the technologies to deliver Personal Communicators. This represents a major step toward creating a new standard for this emerging market, offering customers compelling communications-oriented products.
EO Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, was founded in 1991 by AT&T; Palo Alto, Calif.-based venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers; Matsushita; and Marubeni. The partners contribute technical and marketing expertise and funding. In addition, EO has announced a strategic partnership with Olivetti, Europe's leading computer manufacturer.
NOTE TO EDITORS: EO and the EO logo are trademarks of EO Inc. All other products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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