D2 Technologies acquires Webia

SANTA BARBARA, USA: D2 Technologies, the market leader in embedded IP communications software platforms, has acquired Webia Technologies through an all-stock transaction. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with development centers in Taiwan and Shanghai, China, Webia was one of the first software vendors to introduce set-top box media player platforms based on Google’s Android OS. Webia also unveiled the world’s first Android TV solution at Broadband Taiwan 2010.

Through this acquisition, D2 deepens its industry-leading expertise in embedded multimedia communications applications. Its mCUE® converged communications client already offers OEMs and ODMs an advanced platform for Android OS-based devices such as tablets, IP media phones, connected TVs and mobile handsets, delivering the media-rich features and the popular social networking communications services such as Skype, GoogleTalk and Yahoo! Messenger that consumers demand. Through the acquisition of Webia, D2’s mCUE is now even more ideally designed for connected TVs and set-top boxes.

“D2 and Webia have a common goal – to help manufacturers and developers get ahead of the consumer electronics adoption curve by delivering field-proven, economical, advanced IP communications solutions based on the Android OS to market,” noted Doug Makishima, chief operating officer for D2 Technologies. “It is a strong business decision to unify our companies’ expertise, and we are delighted to add Webia’s developers to our team.”

John Wu, formerly the CEO of Webia, joins D2 Technologies as vice president of products for the company’s Mobile and Personal Communications Business Unit (MPCBU). In this position, he is responsible for leading product development and management, and will be based in D2’s Taiwan offices. Prior to joining Webia in 2009, Wu served as the business unit head and director of engineering for Inventec Appliances Corp., a leading manufacturer of smart handhelds and network appliances. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University.