Starfish Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Mobile technology |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Philippe Kahn, Sonia Lee |
| Fate | Acquired by Motorola in 1998; later acquired by Pumatech in 2003 |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz , United States |
| Products | TrueSync (over-the-air synchronization technology) |
Starfish Software was established in 1994 by Philippe Kahn and Sonia Lee as a spin-off from Borland's Simplify division, following Kahn's exit from Borland. Headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, the firm concentrated on intellectual property related to device synchronization, particularly for wireless gadgets. Its premier offering, TrueSync, pioneered over-the-air synchronization technology.
In 1998, Motorola acquired Starfish for $325 million. That year, the original founders also initiated LightSurf, a company focused on mobile phone camera technology.
Starfish contributed significantly to the creation of the SyncML Initiative in 2000, aiming to unify synchronization standards. In March 2003, it was purchased by Pumatech, under the leadership of turnaround CEO Woodson Hobbs. Subsequently, Pumatech adopted the Intellisync name and was acquired by Nokia in 2005, thereby enhancing Nokia's enterprise mobility solutions.