Here's some news from my friends at Truphone that just came out. Truphone's really been growing and gaining lots of momentum the past few months. So far I haven't had a chance to do a podcast and chat with them, but I'll go to work on getting that set up soon.

TRUPHONE SELECTS MOBILE-INDUSTRY VETERAN TO LEAD OPERATIONS IN THE AMERICAS

Tom Carter, Mobile Entrepreneur, Will Lead Service Expansion for U.K.-Based Mobile VoIP Provider

·   Truphone Gears Up for Americas With Windows Mobile Client

BOSTON–Oct. 29, 2007—At Fall VON today, Truphone, the world’s first global mobile Internet network operator, announced the appointment of mobile-industry veteran Tom Carter as president of Truphone’s operations in North and South America. His appointment, together with demonstrations of Truphone's service on Windows Mobile devices at VON, are key preparations as Truphone readies itself to push further into the market in the Americas.

“Tom is the ideal person to direct our expansion in North and South America,” said Truphone CEO James Tagg. “His familiarity with a wide range of mobile and VoIP technologies, deep and extensive contacts in the mobile industry along with his entrepreneurial spirit and global experience will serve us well as we focus on audiences beyond the U.K. and Europe.”

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Carter brings both vision and experience to Truphone. In the past he has founded and funded startups and has led sales, marketing and business-development teams in Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In recent years, he has turned his attention to the area of fixed-mobile convergence, co-founding BridgePort Networks.

With BridgePort Networks, Carter personally funded the initial development team and then took an active operating role in the company. He participated in securing two rounds of funding that raised more than $35 million in venture capital. As a senior vice president for BridgePort, he led the company’s international expansion by establishing offices in London, Toronto, Tokyo and Hong Kong. This came on the heels of his successes at Adaptive Broadband (formerly California Microwave). There he transformed the company’s sales strategy by establishing channel and OEM programs that augmented their existing efforts.

He was also a co-founder of @Mobile, a venture-backed application service provider for wireless carriers and Internet content providers, which was sold to SOFTWARE.COM (now Openwave) for $350 million.

During the mid-1990s, while at Tandem Computers (now COMPAQ), Carter was instrumental in pioneering the first off-switch “home location register” (HLR) application for mobile-subscriber authorization—now deployed in 20 countries across 73 carriers. This development was enabled by a strategic alliance with development funding from Rogers AT&T and McCaw Cellular (now  AT&T) that was secured by Carter and his Tandem telecom team. 

Truphone, which is based in the United Kingdom, offers mobile Internet telephony services worldwide. It has strong followings in the U. K., the United States and in Europe. Truphone delivers an all-SIP standards-based solution to the problem of providing a converged mobile phone service: a mobile phone that also works in the home, office or any public area with Wi-Fi or 3G Internet access.

“Truphone has a world-class team with proven technology that is ripe for expansion,” said Carter. “I’m pleased to be working with James Tagg and the entire Truphone team as we  launch Truphone’s operations here in the Americas—a very important market for the company’s fresh approach to mobile communications. I'm delighted that at our booth here today we're showing our first Windows Mobile solution, which I see as a key element in pushing Truphone further into the market here.”

Carter, 46, holds a bachelor’s degree (with honors) in business administration and commerce (finance and marketing major) from the University of Alberta, Canada. He holds a U.S. patent as co-author of a design for a mobile-over-Internet network technology.

Note: For a demonstration of Truphone’s Windows Mobile solution, visit booth 1648 at Fall VON.

About Truphone

Truphone develops Internet Protocol-based (IP-based) mobile internet telephony, delivered by means of 3G mobile networks and Wi-Fi networks. The Truphone service enables free and low-cost calls for customers by routing calls via Wi-Fi and the Internet. The service is presently in a 'beta' state and offers Voice-over-IP, SMS-over-IP and 'presence' capabilities. This beta service was announced in mid-2006, when Truphone became the first company to introduce true internet telephony for mass market mobile phones.

Truphone is the trading name of Software Cellular Network (SCN). SCN is privately owned, funded by both venture capital investment and angel investors.

To learn more, please visit www.truphone.com.