LightSurf Technologies
Encyclopedia
Philippe Kahn
and Sonia-Lee
founded LightSurf in 1998 shortly after Kahn created the first camera phone
solution sharing pictures instantly on public networks in 1997. LightSurf was formed to take advantage of the explosive convergence of wireless messaging technology, the Internet, and digital media.
LightSurf's core technology, the LightSurf 6 Open Standards MMS
Platform, is a suite of hosted and managed MMS services that allows users to capture, view, annotate, and share multimedia messages with any handset or e-mail address, regardless of device, file type, or network operator.
LightSurf's products include the first mobile picture messaging solution in North America (GSM), the first mobile picture messaging solution on a GPRS carrier network, the first commercially deployed inter-carrier MMS solution in North America, the highest volume of picture and video messaging in North America and over 400 million media messages shared on Sprint
’s network (powered by LightSurf).
In 2005, LightSurf was acquired by VeriSign
. LightSurf was offered for sale as a part of a group of "Messaging Assets" purchased and developed by VeriSign in late 2008. The group was divested to Syniverse Technologies
in late 2009.
Philippe Kahn
Philippe Kahn is a technology innovator and entrepreneur, who is credited with creating the first camera phone solution sharing pictures instantly on public networks. Kahn's first publicly shared picture is unique in that no other teams making the claim have any pictures. Kahn shot the first camera...
and Sonia-Lee
Sonia Lee Kahn
Sonia Lee is a Korean-born entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and president of Fullpower Technologies.. Sonia Lee also co-founded LightSurf and Starfish Software....
founded LightSurf in 1998 shortly after Kahn created the first camera phone
Camera phone
A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture still photographs . Since early in the 21st century the majority of mobile phones in use are camera phones....
solution sharing pictures instantly on public networks in 1997. LightSurf was formed to take advantage of the explosive convergence of wireless messaging technology, the Internet, and digital media.
LightSurf's core technology, the LightSurf 6 Open Standards MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
Platform, is a suite of hosted and managed MMS services that allows users to capture, view, annotate, and share multimedia messages with any handset or e-mail address, regardless of device, file type, or network operator.
LightSurf's products include the first mobile picture messaging solution in North America (GSM), the first mobile picture messaging solution on a GPRS carrier network, the first commercially deployed inter-carrier MMS solution in North America, the highest volume of picture and video messaging in North America and over 400 million media messages shared on Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
’s network (powered by LightSurf).
In 2005, LightSurf was acquired by VeriSign
VeriSign
Verisign, Inc. is an American company based in Dulles, Virginia that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers, the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains and the .cc and .tv country-code...
. LightSurf was offered for sale as a part of a group of "Messaging Assets" purchased and developed by VeriSign in late 2008. The group was divested to Syniverse Technologies
Syniverse Technologies
Syniverse is a global company that provides technology and business services for the telecommunications industry. The company’s solutions make it possible for disparate technologies and standards to interoperate, so operators in the mobile industry can provide their subscribers with access to voice...
in late 2009.
External links
- Philippe Kahn NPR interview on the camera phone and mobile phone
- VeriSign press release on acquisition of LightSurf.