Handmark beefs up with FreeRange acquisition

Mobile application retailer Handmark announced a deal to acquire FreeRange Communications, a Portland, Ore.-based mobile technology firm, for an undisclosed amount.
FreeRange offers a publishing platform designed to help media companies and content owners to create branded, downloadable smartphone applications. The company also offers mobile RSS services; partners include The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, CBS and professional sports teams.
Handmark was an early entrant among application retailers – a space that’s quickly heating up as Apple Inc.’s App Store, Google Inc.’s Android and several others gain traction – and has found an audience with its Pocket Express offering. The company bulked up its gaming portfolio with last year’s acquisition of Astraware, a U.K.-based outfit.
“The partnership is fantastic news for media companies, wireless carriers, and handset providers looking to establish a mobile presence or enhance their products and services with compelling mobile content,” Handmark CEO and former Sprint Nextel Corp. executive Paul Reddick said in a prepared statement. “FreeRange brings unique technology, expertise and relationships that complement our position as a leading provider of mobile media solutions.”