Red Bend Software

Red Bend Software was a software company focused on managing software in connected mobile devices. Its technology was designed primarily for mobile-phone manufacturers and telecommunications operators, helping them distribute firmware and software updates over the air, manage software components, and maintain device configurations after products had been shipped to customers. The company also served customers in machine-to-machine communications, automotive technology, and enterprise markets. The business was established in 1999 in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel. Its early development centered on vCurrent, a technology that reached beta stage by the following year. Red Bend then signed an initial agreement with BackWeb Technologies and completed its first venture-funding round in 2000. Carmel Ventures provided the company's initial funding. These early steps placed Red Bend in the emerging market for remotely managed mobile software, at a time when handset vendors and operators were increasingly looking for ways to reduce service costs and update devices without requiring physical returns or replacement. By 2003, Red Bend's corporate headquarters were in Boston, Massachusetts, while research and development activities continued in Israel. The company subsequently developed an international operating footprint that included offices in Israel, the United Kingdom, France, China, Japan, and South Korea. Its technology was deployed by handset manufacturers including Kyocera, LG Electronics, Motorola, Sharp, Sony Mobile, and ZTE, according to the company's reference description. The customer base also extended beyond conventional mobile phones into connected-device and enterprise environments. Red Bend's principal offerings included vRapid Mobile, which supported firmware-over-the-air updating and software-component management, and vDirect Mobile, an OMA Device Management-based client for managing devices. Together, these products addressed two related operational needs: updating device software remotely and controlling or administering devices throughout their working lives. This positioned Red Bend as an infrastructure and embedded-software supplier rather than as a consumer-facing handset or application brand. In 2010, Red Bend acquired VirtualLogix, a developer of mobile-virtualization software. The transaction broadened Red Bend's technology portfolio beyond update and management functions and reflected the growing complexity of mobile and connected-device platforms. Red Bend also became a member of the Open Mobile Alliance in 2010, connecting the company with industry work around mobile interoperability and device-management standards. Harman International Industries acquired Red Bend Software in January 2015. Following that transaction, Red Bend ceased to operate as an independent company in the form described by its earlier corporate history, although the available reference material does not establish the exact extent to which its products, personnel, or technologies were retained or rebranded within Harman. Red Bend is therefore best understood as a historical enterprise-software brand associated with mobile and connected-device lifecycle management.

Red Bend Software was founded in 1999 in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, as a developer of technology for managing software on mobile devices. Its early work produced vCurrent, whose beta version was completed by 2000. Around that time, Red Bend signed its first agreement with BackWeb Technologies and completed its initial venture-funding round. Carmel Ventures supplied the company's initial funding. The company's early commercial opportunity came from the expanding need to maintain mobile phones after they had been sold and deployed. Mobile operators and handset makers needed methods for correcting software defects, delivering new firmware, and managing device components without requiring customers to return devices to service centers. Red Bend developed technology intended to support these activities remotely, making software maintenance part of the connected-device lifecycle. By 2003, Red Bend's corporate headquarters had moved to Boston, Massachusetts, while research and development remained in Israel. The company later operated offices in Israel, the United Kingdom, France, China, Japan, and South Korea. Its software was used by a range of handset manufacturers, including Kyocera, LG Electronics, Motorola, Sharp, Sony Mobile, and ZTE. The company also pursued opportunities in machine-to-machine communications, automotive systems, and enterprise technology, markets in which remotely managed connected devices were becoming increasingly important. Red Bend's product portfolio included vRapid Mobile, a platform supporting firmware-over-the-air updates and software-component management, and vDirect Mobile, an OMA Device Management-based device-management client. These products addressed complementary functions: vRapid Mobile focused on distributing and controlling software updates, while vDirect Mobile provided a client-side foundation for administering devices through standardized mobile-management methods. In 2010, Red Bend acquired VirtualLogix, a company associated with mobile-virtualization software. The acquisition expanded Red Bend's capabilities into virtualization, an area relevant to the isolation and operation of multiple software environments on mobile platforms. Also in 2010, Red Bend held membership in the Open Mobile Alliance, an industry organization concerned with mobile standards and interoperability. Red Bend was acquired by Harman International Industries in January 2015. The acquisition brought Red Bend's mobile software-management expertise into Harman, whose activities included connected technologies and automotive systems. The available reference material does not specify the acquisition price, the detailed transaction terms, or the subsequent disposition of each Red Bend product. It also does not identify Red Bend's founders or named executives. Accordingly, the company is documented here as a historically significant specialist software supplier whose independent corporate identity was absorbed following the Harman transaction.

1. 2015Acquired by Harman International Industries

   Harman International Industries acquired Red Bend Software in January 2015.

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2. 2010VirtualLogix acquisition and Open Mobile Alliance membership

   Red Bend acquired mobile-virtualization developer VirtualLogix and held membership in the Open Mobile Alliance.

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3. 2003Corporate headquarters located in Boston

   Red Bend's corporate headquarters were located in Boston, Massachusetts, while research and development continued in Israel.

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4. 2000vCurrent beta completed and first agreement signed

   The company finalized the beta of vCurrent, signed its first agreement with BackWeb Technologies, and completed its first venture-funding round.

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5. 1999Company established in Israel

   Red Bend Software was established in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, to develop mobile software-management technology.

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Enterprise and embedded-software infrastructure for remotely updating, managing, and virtualizing software on mobile phones and other connected devices.

• vRapid MobileOver-the-air update and software-component management

  vRapid Mobile supported firmware-over-the-air updating, allowing software on deployed mobile devices to be updated remotely. It also supported software-component management, commonly described as SCOTA, or Software Components Over The Air. The product addressed the operational needs of handset manufacturers and mobile operators that needed to correct, maintain, or extend device software after shipment.

• vDirect MobileMobile device management

  vDirect Mobile was a device-management client based on OMA Device Management. It provided a software component that could be deployed on mobile devices to support remote administration and management functions. The product complemented Red Bend's update technology by providing a standardized management interface for operators and other organizations responsible for connected-device fleets.

• VirtualLogix mobile virtualization technologyMobile virtualization2010

  Following its 2010 acquisition of VirtualLogix, Red Bend expanded into mobile-virtualization technology. The acquisition brought the capabilities of a specialist virtualization developer into Red Bend's broader portfolio of mobile software-management products. Specific product names, launch dates, and post-acquisition commercial details are not established by the available reference material.

• 2015Acquisition by Harman International IndustriesM&A

  Red Bend had developed software for updating and managing mobile and connected devices, with applications extending into automotive and other connected markets.

  What changed. Harman International Industries acquired Red Bend Software in January 2015.

  Aftermath. The transaction ended Red Bend's independent corporate history and brought its capabilities into Harman. The available reference does not specify the purchase price or the detailed fate of individual products.

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• 2010Acquisition of VirtualLogixM&A

  Red Bend operated in a mobile-software market that increasingly required more than firmware updates and device administration. VirtualLogix brought mobile-virtualization capabilities that could broaden Red Bend's technical coverage.

  What changed. Red Bend Software acquired VirtualLogix, a developer of mobile-virtualization software.

  Aftermath. The acquisition expanded Red Bend's portfolio into mobile virtualization. The available source does not provide transaction terms or detailed information about integration.

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• 2015Red Bend Software acquired by Harman International Industries

  Harman International Industries acquired Red Bend Software in January 2015, ending Red Bend's period as an independent software company.

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1. Red Bend Software