Newbay clinches T-Mobile software deal

12-02-2008

by Stephen Errity

Irish mobile software firm Newbay has signed a multi-million-euro deal with German network operator T-Mobile.

The agreement was announced Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It will see Newbay providing the technology to run T-Mobile's 'MyFaves' social media service. MyFaves has just been launched in Germany, the UK and the Czech Republic and it will be rolled out in additional European countries later in 2008. NewBay already provides T-Mobile in the US with the technology for a similar mobile social networking service.

The T-Mobile MyFaves service allows for 'one click' communication and social networking with five people chosen by the customer. It allows users to instantly call their five favourite numbers or send them text and multimedia messages. As part of the deployment across Europe, Newbay developed and localised country-specific MyFaves websites and created handset interfaces for a range of devices.

Speaking to ENN from Barcelona, Newbay's CEO Paddy Holohan did not confirm the figure of EUR5 million reported online on Tuesday, saying only that it was a 'multi-million-euro' deal.

He added that the company was working on securing several other deals at the Congress, details of which will be announced in the coming months. "We have a double strategy of meeting with both existing and potential new customers at the Congress," he said. "It's a great opportunity to meet with decision-makers."

This is Newbay's fifth time attending the Congress. Last, year the company used the event to announce a partnership with O2 in the UK. Newbay has in the past developed the technology behind Orange UK's link-up with Bebo and its other customers include O2, Alltel Wireless, Swisscom, Vodafone and Bell Mobility.

The company was founded in 2002 and employs approximately 150 at its Dublin headquarters. It also has offices in London, England; Dusseldorf, Germany; and Bellevue, Washington State in the US.

Twenty Irish firms, including Newbay, mobile services provider Asavie, imaging software firm Fotonation and mobile services business ChangingWorlds, have made the journey to the Mobile World Congress, which runs until 14 February.