NCR Acquires Mobiqa to Expand Global Mobile Self-Service Platform

NCR Corporation

announced today that it has acquired Mobiqa − a global pioneer and market leader in the delivery of mobile optimized content − and provider of tickets, boarding passes, downloadable applications and coupons in the travel, entertainment and retail sectors. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition enables NCR to establish a global mobile center of excellence, which will initially focus on the travel industry, where NCR and Mobiqa expect to realize synergies from their existing solutions. Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, the mobile center of excellence will complement NCR's existing R&D facility in Dundee and enable NCR to extend existing mobile offerings across multiple industry sectors. “This strategic acquisition signals NCR's commitment to building out our mobile platform to support the delivery of our seamless multichannel strategy,” said John Bruno, executive vice president for NCR. “We are dedicated to making consumers' experience of interacting with businesses easier by giving them the ability to move seamlessly between self-service mobile, online and kiosk channels.” Mobiqa is a leader in the delivery of optimized mobile boarding passes to the airline industry. The company is able to deliver content to smartphones and legacy handsets via over 600 mobile networks in over 150 countries worldwide. Mobiqa uses SMS, MMS, web link and email technologies for barcode delivery to mobile phones and offers fully optimized mobile website content for m-commerce transactions and downloadable applications in the airline, cinema, live events, rail and retail sectors. Its extensive existing customer base stands to benefit from NCR's continued R&D investment and unrivalled support capabilities on a global basis. NCR and Mobiqa are both active in global standards organizations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has mandated the use of barcode boarding passes by airlines globally by the end of 2010. Formed in 2002, Mobiqa was previously a privately owned company that has received funding from Scottish Enterprise, among other investors. It counts major global brands as its customers, including Qatar Airways, Olympic Air, Aegean, Vueling, Spanair, LOT and Ticketmaster.