FreeForm Technology, the Scotland-based specialist in licence management software for m-commerce will join with The Games Kitchen and Mobileway in launching the first ever reverse-billing and peer-to-peer revenue channel for Palm OS and J2ME at PalmSource today.

Known as ‘Share’, the first-of-its-kind software opens up a whole new distribution channel between consumers by allowing them to instantaneously and easily swap, trade and exchange downloadable applications with colleagues and friends and to make an instantaneous purchase. Simultaneously Share allows vendors to remotely and securely manage licences and subsequent revenue streams on downloadable applications such as games, business applications and value tokens. 

The target customers for Share are web e-tailers and wireless portals wanting to sell more Palm OS and J2ME applications. Share opens up the massive revenue opportunities that are presently untapped in the Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) distribution channel. 

Already, FreeForm has established strategic alliances with a world leading games developer/publisher for mobile technologies and a micro-billing specialist to complete the direct and seamless path from application to consumer. The Games Kitchen in Scotland and Global technology firm, Mobileway have joined forces with FreeForm to enable the latest gaming technology to be distributed and billed uniquely across a mobile network.

With the growing trend in peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, games vendors and wireless carriers have previously had no financially viable method of charging for software shared locally between consumers. FreeForm’s Share software allows downloadable applications, such as games, to be sent to a friend’s wireless device or PDA and within a few clicks, it is fully paid for and ready to use – legally!

Peter Dawson, CEO at FreeForm believes the new software will become the industry benchmark for mobile trading: “Share allows more digital products to be distributed to more people, more quickly and more profitably via C2C trading. It has been designed to benefit everyone from the vendor to the consumer and it even increases the speed to market for new products with minimum distribution costs and maximum licence control.

“Working alongside The Games Kitchen and Mobileway, FreeForm can provide the best gaming technology with the latest reverse billing capabilities to ensure an exciting, accurate and instant peer-to-peer distribution channel.”

By enabling trading activity for each Share-enabled application to be individually viewed and analysed, Share also puts the vendor and consumer in direct contact and facilitates the optimum customer relationship during every transaction.

The Games Kitchen have produced some of the most popular titles in the mobile gaming space and Atum™ is well on the way to becoming another major hit. David Thomson, CEO & Head Chef of The Games Kitchen said: “We designed Atum from the ground up to be shared. Using FreeForm’s technology makes the game far more of an impulse purchase for players.”

Mobileway is a pioneer of monetization and authentication services in the mobile technology space and its director of marketing, Stéphanie de Labriolle believes the new relationship with FreeForm provides a concrete example of the role SMS has to play in the monetization of mobile content. She says: “This is the first ever use of SMS billing to purchase Palm OS applications and re-emphasises the shift from SMS used purely as a texting or messaging tool. With our legacy of revenue sharing agreements that covers 90 currencies around the world, Mobileway is underpinning this shift and is currently the only player to concentrate on both enabling publishing and carrying out settlement.”

Kevin Bradshaw, the founder and former CEO of Digital Bridges, the world-leading wireless entertainment company, is an investor and non-executive director of FreeForm. He adds: “Direct C2C trading using wireless devices is going to be an enormous revenue source for digital media publishers. I foresee massive uptake of the system when the benefits of enabling rather than restricting C2C trading become clear. Freeform has an unmatched solution and a significant lead in this market already.”

The Share trading platform consists of two core packages. ShareMarshall remotely manages the licence, revenue and customer transaction while ShareAgent individually identifies every customer device (e.g. a cell phone or PDA) and triggers the licensing and billing process. Initially, the software will support wireless applications for Palm OS and J2ME devices. 

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Notes for Editors

About FreeForm Technology
FreeForm Technology is a mobile software specialist that is pioneering the development of a peer-to-peer trading platform for the games and promotions industries. Its software allows creators of games and mobile promotions to manage the peer-to-peer distribution of their digital products with capabilities to deliver, track, redeem and collect payments for digital media applications, tokens and other value objects across distributed fixed and wireless device networks. FreeForm's platform allows a game viewed on your friend's PDA to become your own copy with just a few clicks on your mobile phone and PDA - all legally registered, downloaded and fully paid.

Established by CEO Peter Dawson in Edinburgh in September 2000, the company’s primary focus for 2002 centres on product and market development with the benchmark launch of its ‘Share’ software at PalmSource in London on 20th May. The company was set up with investments exceeding £300k from Edinburgh Technology Fund and a consortium of business angles and will be seeking to secure second round funding this year. For more information on FreeForm Technology visit www.freeformtechnology.com 


About The Games Kitchen
The Games Kitchen creates games for mobile devices, from cell phones to PDAs. Headquartered in Scotland, the company has developed over 30 games since its foundation in 1999, including the highly popular Wireless Pets™ and Atum™. The Games Kitchen has offices in the US, and can be found on the Web at www.gameskitchen.com 


About Mobileway
Mobileway is the leader in managing & monetizing mobile transactions across the globe. With direct connections to 88 mobile carriers, Mobileway has unrivalled reach to 90% of mobile users throughout the World, guaranteeing cost effective, secure deployment of mobile applications to professional and personal mobile users.

By expanding the reach of lifestyle services such as instant messaging, infotainment, mobile marketing, m-commerce and enterprise applications, Mobileway increases the value of mobile data for operators, content providers and corporations alike.

Incorporated in Delaware USA, Mobileway has offices located throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.Mobileway.com