Sun to purchase Pixo

Sun Microsystems has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Pixo, developer of server software that manages content delivery to mobile devices.

The deal will be an all-cash transaction, and will close during the first quarter of Sun’s 2004 fiscal year, which begins this July 1. Pixo, based in San Jose, Calif., previously has been privately held, but did have a prior reseller agreement with Sun.

Pixo sells Java-based server software to mobile network operators that allows centralized management of digital content, secure content downloading and customized subscriber interfaces. Its software also can enable automatic distribution of content regardless of where the content is physically located. Canadian mobile giant Bell Mobility is among its carrier customers.

. Upon the closing of the acquisition, Pixo’s software will become part of the Sun Developer Network Mobility Program, Business Mobility Initiative and Unified Testing Initiative for Wireless Java Applications. It also will be part of Sun’s Project Orion platform, which consolidate new software offerings into a single Solaris system upgrade that is released quarterly.