Rocom extends wireless hopes

By ADAM GIFFORD

Cellphone dealer Rocom has bought wireless technology specialist Mission Control for cash and shares in a deal aimed at taking a lead in the wireless communications market.

Mission Control managing director Luigi Cappel will set up a new wireless computing division within Rocom.

Mr Cappel, who chairs the NZ Wireless Data Forum, said the merger was made possible by Rocom's recent listing on the stock exchange's new capital market.

"The mobile market is about to explode. A lot of technologies are going through the development curve from something which is a great concept to something that works.

"Over the next 12 to 24 months there is huge opportunity for organisations to allow their people to manage information away from their desktops."

Mission Control did not have the resources to grow rapidly enough for that market, Mr Cappel said.

"This is an arrangement where we can grow together. I felt Rocom, with its size, access to a large corporate base and credibility in that base, was best positioned to take leadership in the market."

Rocom had revenue last year of $16 million, and more than 60 staff around the country. "I see myself as an evangelist for wireless data and mobile computing," said Mr Cappel. "Rocom is just as passionate and passion is the most important thing for new technologies."

The wireless computing division will focus initially on applications for palm and laptops, offering installation, training and support for handheld applications.

"We will offer a complete outsourcing service for products like Palm organisers. It means corporates don't have issues with IT departments which can't develop skills inhouse."

Since Mr Cappel established Mission Control in May last year it has built a network of resellers and contracted software houses for application development.

WAP (wireless application protocol) is also making waves among developers, as they start to devise solutions suitable for the New Zealand market, he said.

"I don't think that at a business-to-consumer level WAP will be a big deal for another year. At the point every prepay and new phone is WAP-capable, we will see incredibly exciting things.

The market is heading from the early adopter into the acceptance phase of technology, and companies need large organisations they rely on to help them with that."