Mobile applications developer Sybase has entered into a partnership agreement with Cable & Wireless, which gives Sybase exclusive worldwide rights to market and sell mobile data roaming services. Sybase has also acquired the Cable & Wireless international inter-operator MMS hubbing service. The amount of the all-cash transaction has not been disclosed and the transaction is not expected to have a material impact on 2008 consolidated results. The MMS hub and the management of the mobile data roaming service will be integrated into Sybase 365, a subsidiary of Sybase. Sybase now becomes a GRX provider with 73 direct operator customers. Coupled with seventeen peering agreements, the GRX reach extends to almost 500 mobile operators. Sybase also becomes an MMS interoperability provider with direct peering agreements with 40 customers and reaches over 250 mobile operators. Integration of Sybase's person-to-person, high volume US-based MMS hub with the newly acquired Cable & Wireless hub creates a new geographically diverse MMS system which enables global exchange of MMS messages.

Source:Telecompaper