Handmark
{{short description|Developer & distributor of mobile content}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Handmark Inc.
| logo =
| type = Private
| successor = Sprint
| foundation = {{start date and age|2000}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|2013}}
| fate = Acquired by Sprint
| founder = August Grasis III, Douglas Edwards and Jesse Devitte
| location_city = Kansas City, Missouri
| location_country = United States
| location =
| locations =
| area_served = Global
| key_people = Augie Grasis (Chairman), Paul Reddick (CEO), Terry Carlton (CFO), Evan Conway (EVP Marketing, Support & Ecommerce)
| industry = Mobile Applications
| products = Pocket Express, TweetCaster, ZAGAT TO GO(SM), Oxford Reference, see full client portfolio: www.handmarkapps.com
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees = 100
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{url|handmark.com}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
Handmark Inc. was an American developer and distributor of mobile content, based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was created in 2000{{cite web |url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/20041101/casestudy.html |title=Case Study The Problem: Handmark had 50% of the market for software for PDAs. Unfortunately, fewer people are buying PDAs}} by the merger of Mobile Generation Software{{cite news |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_August_11/ai_64053952 |title=Corporate Profile for Mobile Generation|date=August 11, 2000 | work=Business Wire}} with Palmspring Software.
History
The company's original intention was to sell software and content for the Palm Operating System,{{ cite news | url=http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2001/02/05/smallb1.html |title=Palm Potential | first=M. Steele | last=Brown | date=February 4, 2001}} and in 2001 handmark purchased the Palm-related MemoWare repository. The company's scope has since expanded to include Windows Mobile,{{cite web|url=http://www.gobizkc.com/news/news_details.asp?ID=2311 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031208171534/http://gobizkc.com/news/news_details.asp?ID=2311 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2003-12-08 |title=Handmark Announces New Applications for Windows Mobile-based Smartphones }} Java,{{cite web|url=http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Developers/Success_Stories/Case_Studies/Entertainment/Entertainment_pdfs/sc_pro_handmark_A4c.pdf/sc_pro_handmark_A4c.pdf |title=An Express Route to Multiplatform Success |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920200128/http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Developers/Success_Stories/Case_Studies/Entertainment/Entertainment_pdfs/sc_pro_handmark_A4c.pdf/sc_pro_handmark_A4c.pdf |archive-date=2006-09-20 }} and other mobile computing, smartphone and mobile phone platforms.
The company's Pocket Express wireless service offers users access to news, reference and infotainment content on BlackBerry, Palm Treo, Windows Mobile, and other wireless handhelds.{{cite web |url=http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/115433484687080.xml&coll=2 |title= |website=www.cleveland.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311070017/http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fbusiness%2F115433484687080.xml&coll=2 |archive-date=2007-03-11}} In addition to the Pocket Express wireless service bundle, Handmark distributes a number of wireless entertainment titles including Warfare Incorporated (RTS) (Palmsource Powered Up award winner).{{cite web |url=http://www.palmsource.com/press/2004/021004_powerup.html |title=PalmSource | Press Room |access-date=2006-09-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016132524/http://www.palmsource.com/press/2004/021004_powerup.html |archive-date=2006-10-16 }}
In January 2008 Handmark and Astraware announced a new business relationship in which Astraware became part of the Handmark group. Astraware was subsequently bought out by its management team in January 2010 and returned to being an independent game developer.{{Cite web|title=Handmark sheds Astraware as company shifts away from games|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/18138/handmark-sheds-astraware-as-company-shifts-away-from-games/|last=Keith Andrew|website=pocketgamer.biz|date=29 January 2010 |access-date=2020-05-28}}
In early 2009, Handmark acquired FreeRange Communications, makers of FreeRange WebReader, a free RSS based feed reader and content service for mobile phones and PDAs.{{cite web|url=http://www.handmark.com/company/about/press.php?id=194|title=Handmark Acquires FreeRange Communications to Expand Mobile Media Offerings|publisher=Handmark|date=2009-02-05|access-date=2013-04-25|archive-date=2012-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318002038/http://www.handmark.com/company/about/press.php?id=194|url-status=dead}} FreeRange Communications was founded by Jon Maroney and located in Portland, Oregon, and the core technology was incorporated in other products including NewsGator Go!, Attensa Mobile and VersionTracker mobile products.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} Versions were produced for BlackBerry phones, Windows Mobile and Pocket PC, Palm OS devices, Symbian and Java ME phones. The FreeRange reader was folded into Handmark's Pocket Express product line, while FreeRange's content service was branded the Handmark Mobile Publishing Platform. The Mobile Publishing Platform was subsequently spun off as a separate company Freerange 360,{{cite web|url=http://www.handmark.com/company/development/mobile-publishing-platform.php|title=The Only Complete Mobile App Solution for Media and Content Publishers|publisher=Handmark|accessdate=2013-04-25|archive-date=2013-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602123714/http://www.handmark.com/company/development/mobile-publishing-platform.php|url-status=dead}} which in 2012 was renamed to Storycode.{{cite web|url=http://mobileportland.com/events/top-5-learnings-running-mobile-app-startup|title=Top 5 Learnings from Running a Mobile App "Startup"|publisher=Mobile Portland|date=2012-09-21}}
London-based commuter newspaper The Evening Standard launched a mobile app with Handmark in May 2010.{{cite web|last=Deans |first=Jason |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/may/24/london-evening-standard-smartphone-app |title=London Evening Standard launches smartphone app|work=The Guardian |date=2010-04-24 |accessdate=2018-10-11}}
Acquisition
Handmark was acquired by Sprint on April 4, 2013 and became a subsidiary of Sprint.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2013/05/17/timeline-shows-long-engagement-led-up.html|title=Timeline shows long engagement led up to Sprint-Handmark union|publisher=Kansas City Business Journal|date=2013-05-20}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100105035221/http://www.handmark.com/ Official site for Handmark]
Category:Software companies based in Missouri
Category:Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri
Category:Defunct software companies of the United States
Category:2000 establishments in Missouri
Category:2013 disestablishments in Missouri