Onset’s Mobile Device Archiving and Monitoring

Onset Technology has just launched a product--METAmessage ACT--that monitors and controls mobile devices. This is interesting--content control for mobile devices is only just beginning to happen.

Technology Summary

• Focus today is on BlackBerry; Windows Mobile version in development.
• Scans for text strings, specific words, and pattern matches in messages.
• Depending on customer policy, message can be blocked.
• Scans RIM email, instant messages, SMS messages, and PIN messages.
• Customer installs software on a server.
• Customer installs software on mobile devices.
• Archiving takes place by emailing all messages to a third-party archiving system; e.g., Symantec Enterprise Vault.

Pricing

• Pricing starts at $55 per individual license, with volume discounts.
• Typical pricing: one server plus 10,000 licenses, about $250,000.
• 20% maintenance after the first year.

Main Types of Customer

• Clearly a horizontal sell.
• However, initial primary markets are financial services, lawyers, and accountants.
• December 2007 FINRA regulations, in which controls must apply to mobile devices, are important sales drivers.

Competition

• Not much competition right now.
• Market for control and compliance on mobile devices is in its infancy.

Special Features

• Scans and controls PINs. These message don't transit a BES server and with other products, are often not monitored.
• Doesn't just archive messages, but also controls them via customer-defined policies.

Financial Summary

• $4M/year revenue rate.
• Has had a total of $5M funding to date; Jerusalem Global Ventures is the lead VC.
• Approaching breakeven.
• Additional round of $5M anticipated to close shortly.
• 35 staff.

... David Ferris