Openwave Systems
Openwave Mobility, the operating entity of Openwave Systems, provided an NFV platform for mobile traffic management and cloud-native subscriber data management to tier-one mobile operators worldwide, with deployments at 7 of the top 20 global carriers prior to its 2018 acquisition by Enea.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersRedwood City, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Openwave Systems does
Openwave Mobility, the operating entity associated with Openwave Systems, developed and sold mobile network software to tier-one mobile operators worldwide. Its product portfolio centered on an NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) platform supporting two principal solution lines: mobile traffic management (with a stated leadership position in encrypted and unencrypted mobile video traffic optimization) and cloud-native subscriber data management. According to acquisition disclosures, these solutions were deployed by 7 of the top 20 mobile operators globally and were built in part on technology originating from the Qosmos acquisition held by its acquirer, Enea.
The company was founded in 2001 and reconstituted in its current operating form in 2012 under the ownership of Marlin Equity Partners. It was headquartered in California with additional offices in the EMEA and APAC regions, and employed approximately 140 people at the time of acquisition. Revenue was generated through software licensing of its NFV platform and traffic and subscriber data management solutions to mobile operators on what is characterized as a recurring, subscription-style basis.
In April 2018, Openwave Mobility was acquired by Sweden-based Enea AB for USD 90 million, financed through Enea's cash on hand and a previously issued SEK 500M bond loan. The deal was described by Enea as EPS-accretive and expected to lift operating margins toward Enea's profitability target by year-end 2018, with management and founders continuing in the combined business. Preliminary adjusted revenue for 2017 was approximately USD 27M with EBIT of approximately USD 3M, implying a roughly 11% EBIT margin and a ~3.3x revenue acquisition multiple. Earlier Openwave Systems-era acquisitions (Musiwave in 2005, Cilys in 2005, and Magic4 in 2004) reflect the broader legacy portfolio before the business was refocused under Marlin's ownership.
Openwave Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Openwave Systems
- Legal name
- Openwave Mobility
- Website
- https://openwave.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Openwave Mobility, the operating entity of Openwave Systems, provided an NFV platform for mobile traffic management and cloud-native subscriber data management to tier-one mobile operators worldwide, with deployments at 7 of the top 20 global carriers prior to its 2018 acquisition by Enea.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Openwave Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecom Network Infrastructure Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) & Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNFs) (HDAIAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) (HDAFANAA), NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) (HDAFANAB)
Keywords
Where Openwave Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redwood City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Openwave Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licensing to Mobile Operators: Openwave Mobility generated revenue through software licensing of its NFV platform and traffic management solutions to mobile operators. The company had a rapidly growing and profitable core software business with good cash flows. Preliminary adjusted revenues of approximately USD 27M in 2017.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Openwave Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Openwave Systems (Openwave Mobility) develops and licenses an NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) platform that enables mobile network operators to manage and monetize both encrypted and unencrypted mobile traffic, with particular strength in mobile video traffic optimization. The company also provides cloud-native subscriber data management solutions to help operators monetize subscriber data, with technology partly derived from the Qosmos acquisition.
Product overview
Openwave Mobility offers a unified NFV platform architecture combining traffic management and subscriber data management solutions. The core NFV platform serves as the foundation, with Mobile Traffic Management Solutions enabling operators to manage and monetize encrypted and unencrypted mobile video traffic, while Cloud-Native Subscriber Data Management Solutions help monetize subscriber relationships. The solutions are deployed by 7 of the top 20 mobile operators worldwide and are based in part on technology from the Qosmos acquisition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NFV Platform An NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) platform that provides mobile operators with infrastructure to deploy, scale, and orchestrate virtualized network functions for traffic management and subscriber data management.
- Mobile Traffic Management Solutions Software solutions that empower mobile operators to manage and monetize both encrypted and unencrypted traffic, with particular strength in mobile video traffic optimization for tier one operators worldwide.
- Cloud-Native Subscriber Data Management Solutions A portfolio of cloud-native solutions for subscriber data management that helps tier one mobile operators monetize their subscriber data relationships and unify subscriber context across network functions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Deployed by 7 of the top 20 mobile operators worldwide
Companies that use Openwave Systems
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Openwave Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Openwave Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Openwave Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Enea: Enea acquired Openwave Mobility in 2018 and already owned Qosmos DPI technology; Enea is a broader telecom software platform (OS, DPI, signaling) that overlaps significantly with Openwave's NFV platform.
- Ericsson: Ericsson provides end-to-end telecom infrastructure including NFV, policy, and subscriber data management as part of its broader portfolio, competing with Openwave in tier-one mobile operator deals.
- Huawei: Huawei provides end-to-end NFV platforms and telecom software including subscriber and policy management, and competes with Openwave in global tier-one operator deployments.
- Nokia: Nokia's Cloud and Network Services business offers virtualized core, subscriber data management, and traffic analytics, overlapping with Openwave's NFV and subscriber data solutions for mobile operators.
- Cisco: Cisco offers a broad networking and telecom software portfolio (including virtualized packet core, policy, and subscriber-aware solutions) that competes with Openwave at tier-one mobile operator accounts.
Direct peers
- Allot Communications: Allot provides network intelligence, traffic management, and security solutions for communication service providers, directly comparable to Openwave's NFV-based traffic management solutions.
- Openet: Openet provides subscriber data management, policy, and charging software to tier-one telecom operators globally, directly overlapping with Openwave Mobility's subscriber data management and monetization offerings.
- Sandvine: Sandvine (which acquired Procera Networks) provides network intelligence and traffic management solutions to fixed and mobile operators, competing head-to-head with Openwave's mobile traffic management portfolio.
- Procera Networks: Procera Networks (now part of Sandvine) was a direct competitor in DPI-based traffic management and policy enforcement for mobile operators prior to consolidation.
Emerging players
- Mavenir: Mavenir focuses on cloud-native network functions for mobile operators including vRAN, packet core, and subscriber data, representing an emerging competitor to Openwave's NFV platform offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Openwave Systems social profiles
Digital presenceOpenwave Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Openwave Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Openwave Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Openwave Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Openwave Systems
What does Openwave Systems do?
Openwave Systems (Openwave Mobility) develops and licenses an NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) platform that enables mobile network operators to manage and monetize both encrypted and unencrypted mobile traffic, with particular strength in mobile video traffic optimization. The company also provides cloud-native subscriber data management solutions to help operators monetize subscriber data, with technology partly derived from the Qosmos acquisition.
Is Openwave Systems a public or private company?
Openwave Systems is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently acquired.
When was Openwave Systems founded?
Openwave Systems was founded in 2001. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Openwave Systems based?
Openwave Systems is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Openwave Systems make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Licensing to Mobile Operators.
Who are Openwave Systems's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Enea, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia and Cisco. Direct peers are Allot Communications, Openet, Sandvine and Procera Networks. Mavenir is listed as an emerging player.
Does Openwave Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Openwave Systems.
What industry is Openwave Systems in?
Openwave Systems's product category is Telecom Network Infrastructure Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAIAB, NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) & Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNFs), with a secondary code of HDAFANAA, Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7370.