RIM Buys DataViz for Documents To Go

BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion has confirmed the acquisition of DataViz, the maker of Documents To Go. No price was given but the Crackberry blog site reported “multiple sources” as stating the deal to be worth $50 million in cash.

“RIM has acquired some of the assets of DataViz and hired the majority of its employees to focus on supporting the BlackBerry platform,” RIM said in a prepared statement. “Terms of the deal were not disclosed but the transaction was not material to RIM in the context of RIM’s financial results.”

Broad format and platform support

Documents To Go is a display and create application for smartphones that offers support for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Adobe PDF; Apple iWork; and other files and attachments. It includes a desktop application (Windows and Mac) to provide two-way file synchronisation and there is a version which supports Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, iDisk and SugarSync.

Any changes users make can be saved and synchronised back to the online account so that the most up-to-date version is always available. Users can also create new files and upload them to their account. DataViz’s InTact Technology preserves the changed and original formatting when editing Word, Excel or PowerPoint files on an iPhone.

DataViz provides its Office compatibility and productivity products across a variety of platforms, including Apple iPhone, Google Android, RIM’s BlackBerry, Java, Linux, Maemo 5, Symbian OS, WebOS, Windows Mobile and desktop Windows and MacOS. Founded in 1984, DataViz began its business developing file conversion software and expanded to providing applications aimed at meeting the demands of the handheld and mobile markets. It offers enterprise-grade solutions that include its mobile Office suite, Documents To Go and the wireless Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync client, RoadSync.

Distribution and carrier partnerships with companies like Ingram Micro, Cingular Wireless, Brightpoint and Orange have propelled the company’s office mobility product lines into the marketplace.

New features

In addition to push email, calendar, contacts and attachments, the latest version of the company’s Exchange ActiveSync client adds Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 compatibility; optimisations for the latest Android devices running OS 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1; tasks synchronisation; and new home screen widgets and shortcuts. It also offers a Global Address List/Corporate Directory Look-up and improved contact integration with new Quick Contact Toolbar, enhanced meeting creation for inviting required attendees, and the ability to store email and attachments on a memory card.

In 2005, DataViz became the first software company to license the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol. DataViz then created RoadSync, an Exchange ActiveSync client that provides non-Microsoft smartphones and Windows legacy devices with secure, wireless and direct push synchronisation of corporate email, calendar, contacts and attachments for more than 100 smartphones across six mobile platforms.

According to industry analyst firm The Radicati Group, 33 percent of corporations worldwide currently use Microsoft Exchange as their insourced corporate messaging platform and its marketshare is expected to rise to 39 percent by 2009. Additionally, Radicati predicted that, by 2009, the corporate wireless email installed base would increase from 6.5 million to 123 million.

RIM has recently suffered form political pressures in countries such as India, and announced a well-received product, the BlackBerry Torch