Good Technology Lures Whopping $45M In Funding; Releases New Offering
05/17/2004
Good Technology, Inc., a provider of industry standards-based wireless messaging and corporate data access, closed an oversubscribed $45M+ round of financing, led by Crosslink Capital. Crosslink was joined by significant new investor BA Venture Partners and Good¡¦s existing backers -- including Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and Benchmark Capital -- many of which invested in excess of their pro-rata allocations. Good will use the funds to accelerate its already rapid market penetration.
¡§Good¡¦s success in establishing itself in over 2,000 enterprises in less than two years attracted us to this investment opportunity. Our discussions with Good¡¦s customers highlighted the powerful appeal of the company¡¦s approach in providing solutions based on industry standards, rather than a proprietary system. We expect this standards-based approach to accelerate dramatically the growth of enterprise wireless data,¡¨ said Gary Hromadko, venture partner at Crosslink Capital. ¡§As Good invests more aggressively in sales and marketing over the coming quarters, we believe enterprise customers will increasingly select GoodLink as they opt for devices based on industry standards from the world¡¦s most trusted IT and wireless equipment providers.¡¨
¡§We¡¦re experiencing a dramatic increase in demand for GoodLink on standards-based devices such as Windows-powered Pocket PCs and the hot-selling palmOne Treo 600. In the past six months, this pull has expanded from our enterprise customers to include the world¡¦s leading carriers, platform providers, and device makers, all of whom view GoodLink as a tool to help them serve these valuable and demanding customers,¡¨ said Danny Shader, CEO of Good Technology, Inc. ¡§We will use this financing to expand our sales, marketing, support, and business development capabilities worldwide to address this tremendous opportunity.¡¨
Good Technology¡¦s flagship offering, GoodLink, is a standards-based wireless messaging and corporate data access system that provides mobile field forces with a two-way wirelessly synchronized connection with the critical information contained in Microsoft Exchange Servers (enterprise email, contacts, calendar, notes and tasks) and CRM, ERP and SCM systems. The company recently announced that over 2,000 enterprises now use GoodLink to empower their mobile workforces. GoodLink meets the most stringent security standards; GoodLink is FIPS certified and incorporates AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) end-to-end encryption to protect email, data, and attachments in Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, HTML, PDF and RTF file formats. The GoodLink system includes non-stop service, a real-time synchronizing server, and security and application software that supports the Good G100, RIM 950 and 957 handhelds, palmOne Treo 600, and Windows Mobile„§-based Pocket PC devices on a variety of networks.
Separately, Good said GoodLink is now available for wireless devices powered by Microsoft¡¦s Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PC Phone Edition, including the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition. Forthcoming GoodLink-ready Windows Mobile-powered devices include the exciting new Motorola MPx.
Good offered these details:
When combined with GoodLink, Windows Mobile delivers laptop power to smartphones: true multi-tasking, a familiar Outlook-like user interface, and the ability to download and edit rich attachments generated with Microsoft Office and other Windows applications.
In response to customer requirements, GoodLink for Windows Mobile raises the bar on security, advanced fleet management and administrative capabilities. In addition to providing cradle-free, two-way wireless synchronization with the full suite of Microsoft Outlook applications, GoodLink for Windows Mobile enables rich attachment downloads that can be edited with Microsoft Pocket Excel or Word or any of the thousands of third-party applications that are available for Microsoft¡¦s industry-standard mobile platform. Consistent with Good¡¦s commitment to standards-based interoperability, administrators can support multiple GoodLink devices ¡V powered by Windows Mobile or other platforms -- on a variety of networks, all from a single GoodLink server. This flexibility allows IT to meet the diverse needs of mobile workforces, where heterogeneous device and carrier preferences are a fact of life.
¡§With GoodLink, customers using a compatible Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC have quick, more-secure access to the suite of Outlook-based applications,¡¨ said Karen Carter, group product manager for the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. ¡§Businesses running Microsoft Exchange Server can extend the functionality to include wireless synchronization with the full Outlook experience, thereby providing an entire work force with the flexibility to remain connected to critical business data and the tools to increase productivity, away from the office.¡¨
Several of Good¡¦s 2,000+ enterprise customers have been testing GoodLink for Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PC Phone Edition since it was first demonstrated publicly in February, 2004, among them SanDisk Corporation, the world¡¦s largest supplier of flash data storage card products, and Bovis Lend Lease, one of the world's leaders in project management and construction services.
"To maintain our leadership in a very crowded market, it's imperative that our sales executives minimize the time they spend on non-customer-facing activities while they¡¦re on the road, and maximize their time serving our customers," said Jeff Kost, vice president of OEM Sales for SanDisk. "With GoodLink on a Pocket PC wireless device, not only can we be more responsive with up-to-the moment access to our email, calendar and contacts, but we can view and edit documents, access our business systems, and even give presentations -- without carrying a laptop."
¡§Our customer relationships are built on trust, integrity and respect. Today's clients want solutions to their business problems, so we evaluate where we can add value and tailor a real estate solution that meets their needs. To do so, we draw from resources anywhere in the world using our virtual network,¡¨ said Steve Thomas, CIO of the Americas for Bovis Lend Lease. ¡§With GoodLink as a component of our messaging platform, we can manage the flow of critical information and maintain open lines of communication with ease. Because GoodLink is compatible with the latest standards-based devices based on Windows Mobile for Pocket PCs, we will continue to expand the boundaries of what our mobile employees can do, whether it be email or telephone interactions, reviewing and collaborating on business documents, or monitoring critical aspects of our projects.¡¨
¡§The release of GoodLink for Windows Mobile marks another important milestone in our commitment to industry standards. These standards allow our customers to benefit from the best mobile devices available, regardless of platform or carrier,¡¨ said Sue Forbes, Good¡¦s vice president of marketing. ¡§GoodLink for Windows Mobile adds powerful messaging and data access capabilities to Microsoft¡¦s already impressive, feature-rich operating system, delivering laptop power to smartphones.¡¨