Aether Systems Agrees to Acquire Riverbed Technologies.Business Editors OWINGS MILLS, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2000 Merger Combines Leading Wireless Data Services Provider with the Developer of the Mobile Communications Technology Noun 1. communications technology - the activity of designing and constructing and maintaining communication systems engineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry Endorsed as the Standard by Palm Computing computing - computer and Others Aether aether: see ether, in physics and astronomy. Aether god of whole atmosphere. [Gk. Myth.: Jobes, 42] See : Air Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: AETH), a leading provider of wireless data systems and services, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Riverbed Technologies Riverbed is a corporation providing wide area data services (WDS). Riverbed Technology's world headquarters is located in San Francisco, California. , Inc, a leader in mobile computing Using a computing device while in transit. Mobile computing implies wireless transmission, but wireless transmission does not necessarily imply mobile computing. Fixed wireless applications use satellites, radio systems and lasers to transmit between permanent objects such as buildings software products based in Vienna, Va. The agreement calls for Aether to issue approximately 4.5 million shares of its common stock in exchange for all of the shares of Riverbed Technologies. The approximate value of the transaction is $800 million based on Aether's Feb. 9 closing price. In addition, Aether will reserve approximately 900,000 shares for issuance on exercise of options that replace outstanding Riverbed options. The combination strengthens and broadens Aether's technology offerings in the mobile computing market. Riverbed's suite of software products, marketed under the name ScoutWare, combined with Aether's wireless middleware Software that functions as a conversion or translation layer. It is also a consolidator and integrator. Custom-programmed middleware solutions have been developed for decades to enable one application to communicate with another that either runs on a different platform or comes from a (Aether Intelligent Messaging An earlier messaging system from Banyan Systems that ran on NetWare and VINES servers and incorporated Banyan's popular Streettalk directory service. It included a basic mail program, which could be upgraded to the more advanced BeyondMail system. See ePresence. or AIM) and Enterprise Data Wireless Center will enable Aether to provide a one-stop source to enterprises seeking a mobile computing solution. Riverbed's ScoutWare software operates in both a wired and wireless environment and is compatible with Aether's innovative AIM middleware. &uot;The acquisition of Riverbed Technologies brings us additional capabilities to serve the business community's needs in mobile and wireless computing,&uot; said Aether Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. David Oros. &uot;Riverbed's software has been accepted as a standard in mobile computing, which fits well with our expertise in wireless data applications. Additionally, Riverbed provides access to new partners and clients, which will expand Aether's distribution channels.&uot; Said Riverbed President and CEO Wayne Jackson Wayne Jackson (born April 16, 1944) is best-known for his tenure as the CEO of the Australian Football League 1996 to 2003. SANFL Jackson played 71 games for West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian National Football League from 1965 to 1971 . : &uot;We are excited to become a part of Aether, combining our technologies with Aether's ability to provide comprehensive wireless services and solutions. Together, our new company will bring customers and clients a unique set of capabilities for all of their mobile computing and wireless data needs.&uot; The closing of the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, shareholder vote by the shareholders of Riverbed Technologies (90% of whom will agree to vote for the transaction) and customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by March 15, 2000. About Riverbed Technologies Riverbed Technologies develops and distributes software that allows businesses to effectively use hand-held devices throughout the corporate enterprise. Riverbed's platform-independent ScoutWare empowers mobile workforces with reliable high-speed access to corporate data, while providing IT professionals the tools to build, deploy and manage sophisticated mobile applications. Riverbed products have been employed by major corporations and organizations, including Sony Corp., the U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. The service seeks to improve its performance through the development of efficient mail-handling systems and operates its own planning and engineering programs. , Becton Dickinson BD (NYSE: BDX), is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs 27,000 people in nearly 50 countries. and Co., the U.S. Department of Defense and MCI/WorldCom, to serve mobile professionals in a broad range of industries including health care, sales force automation Automating the sales activities within an organization. A comprehensive SFA package provides such functions as contact management, note and information sharing, quick proposal and presentation generation, product configurators, calendars and to-do lists. , inventory and asset management, field service, merchandising merchandising Element of marketing concerned especially with the sale of goods and services to customers. One aspect of merchandising is advertising, which aims to capture the interest of the segment of the population most likely to buy the product. , and corporate communications Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct relationship with an enterprise. . A mobile computing pioneer, Riverbed's platform has been adopted by technology leaders such as Palm Computing, Oracle Corp. and Extensity ex·ten·si·ty n. pl. ex·ten·si·ties 1. a. The quality of having extension or being extensive. b. A specific degree or range of extension. 2. Inc. Riverbed's ScoutWare family of products focuses on the management, connection and application development between enterprise systems and the handheld device in a platform and device-neutral environment. ScoutWare products include ScoutSync, which is emerging as the de facto standard Hardware or software that is widely used, but not endorsed by a standards organization. Contrast with de jure standard. de facto standard - A widespread consensus on a particular product or protocol which has not been ratified by any official standards body, such as ISO, for the connection and management of handheld devices; ScoutIT, a mobile software solution which offers IT managers the ability to remotely identify, manage, back-up, restore and deploy handheld applications, regardless of the device operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. or location; ScoutWeb, a web-enabling technology that helps companies deploy and manage information and applications from web environments to handheld devices; and ScoutArchitect, which enables software developers to create applications that extend corporate information to remote and mobile workers using handheld devices. Riverbed is located at 2070 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 475, Vienna, VA 22182. For more information, visit www.riverbedtech.com. About Aether Systems Aether Systems, Inc., is a leading wireless data applications service provider that enables real-time data Real-time data denotes information that is delivered immediately after collection. There is no delay in the timeliness of the information provided. Some uses of this term confuse it with the term dynamic data. communications over a full range of wireless devices and networks. Using its engineering expertise, its Aether Intelligent Messaging (AIM) software platform and its customer service and network operations center See NOC. Network Operations Center - (NOC) A location from which the operation of a network or internet is monitored. Additionally, this center usually serves as a clearinghouse for connectivity problems and efforts to resolve those problems. , Aether Systems uses a turnkey See turnkey system. approach to enterprise customers by offering wireless data solutions with software and applications that are device and network agnostic ag·nos·tic n. 1. a. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism. 2. . Aether is targeting these solutions to a variety of industries including financial services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , healthcare, transportation logistics and mobile workforce automation. Customers include Charles Schwab Charles Schwab can refer to:
Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. based in Palo Alto, California “Palo Alto” redirects here. For other uses, see Palo Alto (disambiguation). Palo Alto (IPA: /ˌpæloʊˈʔæltoʊ/, from Spanish: palo: "stick" and alto: "high", i.e. . Aether is located at 11460 Cronridge Dr., Owings Mills, MD 21117. For more information, visit www.aethersystems.com. This press release includes forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. based on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Aether that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the completion of the acquisition discussed and the effective integration of the acquired company into Aether's operations. These risks and other risk factors are described in Aether's Form S1/A prospectus under the caption, &uot;Risk Factors&uot; filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Aether undertakes no obligation to update the forward looking statements contained in this press release.
Aether Systems and Riverbed Technologies At-a-Glance
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Name Aether Systems Riverbed Technologies
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Headquarters 11460 Cronridge Drive, 2070 Chain Bridge Road,
Owings Mills, MD 21117 Suite 475
(410) 654-6400 Vienna, VA 22182
www.aethersystems.com (703) 847-3303
www.riverbed.net
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Number of
Employees 135 100 plus
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Ownership Publicly held Privately held
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Founded Founded in 1996. Riverbed began in spring
Initial public stock 1997 as part of the emerging
offering, October 1999. technology group within
Noblestar Systems, an
enterprise integration
services firm in Northern
Virginia. Riverbed was
incorporated as an
independent company in
August 1998.
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Management David Oros, Chairman, Wayne Jackson, III CEO
Team CEO and President David Rensin, CTO
George Davis, COO Todd Headley, CFO
David Reymann, CFO Steve Brown, SVP,
Dale Shelton, CTO Corporate Development
Bill Davidson, SVP, Tom McDonough, SVP,
Sales Worldwide Sales
Brian Keane, SVP, Larry Roshfeld, SVP,
Corporate Affairs Products
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Corporate To be the premier global Delivering mission-critical
Mission provider of wireless mobile solutions that
software and services drive competitive
connecting mobile advantage for
professionals to the corporations.
information they need,
whenever and wherever
they need it.
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Products Aether Intelligent Riverbed's product focus
Messaging (AIM) is a is on the management,
software platform that connection and application
provides secure wireless development between
messaging transport and enterprise systems and the
a rich development handheld device in a
environment for extending platform- and device-neutral
corporate desktop environment. The ScoutWare
applications to mobile family of mobile solutions
devices. In addition, includes:
Aether's network ScoutSync:
operations and customer connects the mobile
service center handles enterprise
end-to-end wireless data ScoutIT:
solutions for its manages the mobile
customers, including enterprise
end-user support and ScoutArchitect:
product fulfillment. designs the mobile
Aether's current enterprise
end-market products ScoutWeb:
concentrate on the Internet-enables the
financial market and mobile enterprise
include Reuters
MarketClip, Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter
Online TradeRunner(SM)
and F/X Alert.
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Examples of Charles Schwab &Co., MCI, Sony, Oracle, AT&,
Key Morgan Stanley Dean U.S. Postal Service,
Customers Witter Online, National the Defense Department,
Discount Brokers, Becton Dickinson and GTE
OmniSky Inc.
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
Alliances 3Com, Palm Computing, Palm Computing, Symbol,
AT& Wireless Services Novatel Wireless,
Services, Bell Atlantic Metricom, AT&,
Mobile, BellSouth Corp., Certicom as well as
Reuters and Phone.com additional device and
systems integrator/value
added reseller (VAR)
relationships
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
-------------- ------------------------- -----------------------------
|
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion