Definition: Openwave

(Openwave Systems Inc., Redwood City, CA) A software company that provided an application infrastructure for wireless data. Its microbrowsers and server software enabled smartphones to retrieve stock quotes, email and other data from the Web. Founded in 1994 as Libris, Inc., the company changed its name to Unwired Planet in 1996 and introduced its microbrowser on AT&T's Wireless PocketNet service using the HDML markup language.

In 1997, Unwired Planet (UP) launched the WAP Forum with Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia, which turned HDML into WML (Wireless Markup Language) and introduced a complete wireless protocol stack. In 1999, Unwired Planet changed its name to Phone.com, which merged with Software.com in 2000 to become Openwave.

In 2012, Openwave split off its messaging and mediation solutions into Openwave Messaging and Openwave Mobility, while reclaiming the Unwired Planet name for itself to focus strictly on patents. See Openwave Mobile Access Gateway, Openwave Mobile Browser, WAP and T9.

Openwave Applications

Openwave was a major contributor to the development of smartphone interfaces. These are examples of earlier applications when cellphone screens were exceptionally tiny and limited. (Image courtesy of Openwave Systems Inc.)