Phone apps provider swallows opposition

Jud Bowman keeps adding to his "apps" empire.

Bowman, 28, is owner and CEO of PocketGear, a small Durham association that helps mobile-phone providers sell games and alternative program applications to consumers worldwide. On Tuesday, he voiced the merger of Handango, a tip opposition in the marketplace for apps used on BlackBerries and alternative intelligent phones.

With the purchase, PocketGear will be one of the worlds largest apps providers, trailing usually Apple and Google, Bowman said.

Rather than Apples successful indication of offered apps usually for iPhones and alternative Apple devices, PocketGear helps sell some-more than 140,000 apps in 175 countries on 2,000 mobile devices. Its commercial operation embody mobile device makers such as Samsung, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Research in Motion.

"Its the hottest space in mobile technology," Bowman said. "Its unequivocally sparkling to stick on forces with Handango and unequivocally go after this market."

PocketGear plans to keep the domicile in Durham but additionally will keep Handangos offices outward of Dallas to daub that regions bent pool. Terms of the dealwerent disclosed.

Bowman will sojourn CEO. He founded the commercial operation as a teenager at Durhams N.C. School of Science and Math in 1999 and after sole it to a association that became Motricity. He paid for behind the intelligent phone applications tools of the commercial operation in 2008 when Motricity changed the domicile to the Seattle area from Durham.

Motricity filed plans last month to lift as most as $250 million in an primary open charity of stock, and Bowman is still a Motricity investor.

"Explosive" growth

PocketGear is secretly owned and doesnt recover monetary results. But the association is creation money, pronounced Steve Nelson, a partner with the Wakefield Group, one of PocketGears investors.

Nelson expects PocketGear to see "explosive" expansion as intelligent phones get improved chips and mental recall that can hoop some-more sophisticated, and expensive, apps.

"You have a lot of options when you set up a growing, essential company," Nelson said. "Its a good on all sides to be in. Juds an unusual entrepreneur."

Bowman pronounced he attempted to buy Handango twice before, but the companies couldnt determine on a price. Then, about a year ago, Handango declared Alex Bloom as the CEO. Bowman pronounced he has well known Bloom for years, when they both worked at Motricity, and they were means to come to terms a deal.

Bloom will turn arch handling military officer at PocketGear.

PocketGear right away has about 40 full-time workers and an additional twenty contractors, Bowman said. The association continues to hire.

One new further was Val Stiebris, a former senior manager with A4 Health Systems of Raleigh who is right away PocketGears clamp boss of finance.

"We"re removing to a scale where the finance management are a bit some-more complex," Bowman said.

alan.wolf or 919-829-4572