Appear to launch its first North American Software Research Labs in collaboration with Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada

Canadian Ubiquitous & Pervasive Computer Lab and Leading Swedish Software Vendor to Focus on the Next Generation of Context-Aware Mobile Services

Stockholm, Sweden and Toronto, Canada – 19 June 2008 – Appear, a leading provider of context-aware mobility software, today announced it is pursuing a strategic research partnership with Ryerson University’s Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing Lab (UPCL) for the development of the next generation of innovative mobile solutions.

Context-aware mobile platforms are the next step from location-based computing services – improving the productivity of mobile users by anticipating their needs based on their responsibilities, location, time, device type, network bandwidth and other factors.

Ryerson University’s Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing Lab and Appear are in discussions about the formation of Appear Research Labs - North America. The dialogue between Appear and Ryerson began when Ryerson doctoral student Hossein Rahnama, who had received an Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) International Scholarship, was an intern at Appear. The OCE scholarship, designed to give promising Ontario students learning opportunities overseas, provided Rahnama with the opportunity to spend several months at Appear in Sweden where he developed advanced technology prototypes and supported existing research projects. So impressive was his contribution, Appear recognized the potential for an ongoing relationship, both with Rahnama and with Ontario.

“We are very excited about Appear Research Labs,” said Xavier Aubry, Chief Executive Officer, Appear. “Hossein Rahnama’s internship with our company was very successful. His practical focus during his time with us and our subsequent discussions with Ryerson University convinced us that they were open to working with innovative software companies like ours. OCE played a key role in establishing this important partnership that is the cornerstone of our North American expansion strategy. We believe Ontario is a great place to start.”

“We are extremely pleased to have one of the leading European context-aware mobile technology providers interested in working with Ryerson University to research and develop context-aware mobile products and services for the North American market,” said Dr. Anastasios Venetsanopoulos, Vice President, Research and Innovation, Ryerson University. “It is indicative of Ryerson’s University’s focus on innovation in developing leading edge research applications that Appear is proposing to work with us on several key research and development projects.”

“Together with research partners in the air transport industry, we will be developing the next generation of mobile platforms for employees and consumers, a technology which has the potential to be deployed in airports around the world,” added Aubry.

“A crucial element in fostering innovation in Ontario is providing our students with opportunities abroad to help them develop the skills needed for today’s growing global economy,” said Mark Romoff, OCE President and CEO. “The benefits of giving Ontario students global exposure are immeasurable. In Rahnama’s case, what began as an internship has blossomed into a scientific and technical collaboration between Europe and Ontario.”

Appear Research Labs will initially support Appear’s commercial growth strategies in the transportation industry, developing applications designed specifically for ground and air transport, with new industries such as sports, entertainment and retail also being evaluated.

About Appear: www.appearnetworks.com
Appear is the leading provider of context-aware software infrastructure designed to power the next generation of mobile applications and services. Using situational information (context), the AppearIQ suite of products transforms ordinary wireless data networks into rich multimedia channels that deliver information, voice, video and messages to mobile computer users. By collecting and sharing context, Appear’s solutions eliminate information overload and ensure users have exactly the information they need, when and where they need it. Industry leaders in transportation, retail, telecommunications and government use AppearIQ. Appear has an extensive partner network including industry leaders Cisco, SITA and Telent in order to deliver innovative, end-to-end wireless and mobile solutions. The company is privately held and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and with offices across Europe.

About Ryerson UPCL and Ryerson University: www.ryerson.ca
Ryerson University’s UPCL focuses on research and development in ubiquitous and pervasive computing, i.e., computing all around us. The laboratory creates environments in which computing devices are, user friendly, anticipatory to individual requirements, personalized, and responsive to individual presence.
Ryerson University is Canada’s leader in career-focused education, offering close to 90 PhD, master’s, and undergraduate programs to 25,000 students. Ryerson University has a significant and growing research portfolio aimed at expanding knowledge, enhancing practices and methods, and playing a key role in the life of the city, province, and country.

Press Contact:
Angela J. Hepburn
Be-SR SARL Media Relations
+33 6 84 81 51 56
angieh@beseenandread.com

This release was published on openPR.