Visto Corp. has acquired the software division of Psion plc., company officials have confirmed.
Psion Software makes Transcend Mail, enterprise-level push-based e-mail software for the Symbian operating system. Psion plc., based in London, is the largest shareholder of Symbian Ltd.
Visto makes wireless messaging software, competing with companies such as Research in Motion Ltd., which makes BlackBerry devices and server software. Visto officials said the Psion acquisition fills a smartphone gap, in addition to giving the company a European presence.
“Given that our focus had been Palm, Microsoft and Java, this gives us the one that we were really missing,” said Brian Bogosian, president, chairman and CEO of Visto in Redwood Shores, Calif. “Having push on a Symbian device is very cool.”
The acquired software division, which employs some 34 people, will remain in London. After the acquisition, Visto will have about 150 employees. Officials declined to share the financial terms of the deal.
