Replies to post #123499 on NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

[yellowjacket]

Good info...thanks, Jonesie. YJ. P.S. Perhaps he'll earn his Phd. by turning things around for us at NEOM.

[NeomRocket]

Excellent summary!

[GONEOM]

nice drill down jonesiatl...

[superman- x]

Great summary.... I can see another double digit growth day! Good things around the corner.

[cjzak]

Much appreciated! Sounds like a man with a good background for the job ahead. Let's hope so anyway! Cj

[jonesieatl]

Well the employment demigods giveth ...

... and they taketh away.

Rick S. has left Neomedia for greener pastures.

Is that good or bad? I'd guess, even if it's not bad ... it's not good.

jonesie

[jonesieatl]

A while back I did a recap of William Hoffman's business chronology:

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=20245773

The Mobilesys and mBlox timing is interesting. I've always wondered why he left mBlox. Seems like things were going great. Below is a little bit from that recap, but also a lot of chronology re: mBlox as well, and an odd little ATG thingy, etc.

Excerpted from my recap of June 6, 2007:

October 15, 2002 (to 2004)

Publication: PR Newswire
Publication Date: 15-OCT-02
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Company: MobileSys Inc.

Article Excerpt
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- MobileSys, the leading enterprise wireless messaging service provider, today announced the appointment of William (Chip) J. Hoffman Jr. as president and chief executive officer. He will also join the company's board of directors. Hoffman will be responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of the company. He will join a team that includes David Coelho, MobileSys founder, who will oversee the development and deployment of MobileSys' family of products.

"As more enterprises are recognizing the value of wireless technologies, we want to focus our talents on key priorities and challenges,"...

=======================================================
June 30, 2003

ACQUISITIONS, MERGERS & AGREEMENTS

MobileSys & mBlox Merge

MobileSys Inc., a US provider of Short Message Services (SMS) to corporations and mBlox Ltd, Europe's leading SMS services provider will announce their merger and the successful closing of $8 million (US) in venture capital and private equity to finance planned expansion. Norwest Venture Partners is the lead investor.

This merger creates the market's largest global SMS transmission network. The company will retain the mBlox name and maintain operations in London, Sunnyvale and Hong Kong. Short Message Services (SMS) is a huge and fast-growing media channel in Europe, where content services and marketing now provide a substantial portion of the 10 billion messages sent every month. The US has recently introduced the service, with message volumes already exceeding 1 billion per month.

Customers include Cisco Systems Inc., Citibank, Electronic Data Systems Corp (EDS), Ericsson Mobile Communications, Ford Motor Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp., Johnson & Johnson Inc., Motorola Inc., and Siebel Systems Inc

mBlox and Norwest Venture Partners spokespeople are available for interview. To schedule a conversation or to view the full press release today, please contact me.

Source: News Release from the company

MobileInfo Comments and Advisory: This is a good rationalization of vendors with synergistic interests

Mr. Hoffman was President and CEO for mBlox, Inc., the world's largest wireless transaction processing network, from 2002 to 2004. (My note: Until June 2003 he was CEO of MobileSys which then merged with mBlox) There he focused on reorganizing, restructuring, and then rapidly growing the business to over 180 countries. His responsibilities included capital structure, Board, organization, strategy, and execution of the firm's business plan. He was instrumental in developing partnerships with more than 500 wireless operators around the globe including Vodafone®, T-Mobile®, Verizon® and Cingular®, and achieving a $75 million annual run-rate in 18 months time for the world's largest provider of messaging infrastructure.

======================================================

By June 21, 2004, it appears Mr. Hoffman had left mBlox. Note the ATG comment in this PR:

Cuccio appointed CEO of mBlox Inc.

San Fransisco, USA and London, UK – June 21, 2004

mBlox, the premier provider of mobile messaging infrastructure services, today announces the appointment of Gary Cuccio to Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Cuccio will be responsible for leading mBlox’s senior management team in the execution and development of the company’s operational plan for growth. He will divide his time between mBlox’s London, UK and San Francisco, USA offices.

Cuccio has more than three decades of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 27 years with Pacific Bell, a large Californian telecommunications operator. He was a senior exec of AirTouch International (now part of Vodafone) and the president of AirTouch paging. Cuccio served as CEO of LHS, a NASDAQ-listed supplier of billing systems to mobile operators, and was most recently CEO of ATG, a large fixed-line telephone company. Cuccio held an advisory position with mBlox for nearly one year prior to officially joining the mBlox team.

Regarding that ATG note: skipping to the bottom of my June 6th recap finds:

"?????? (Can't get a date on this)

William "Chip" Hoffman, a telecommunications industry veteran, is the new ATG president and chief operating officer, replacing Robert Wartsler, who retired."

Interesting.

==================================================
Within days of Hoffman's departure from mBlox and Cuccio's arrival, mBlox completed a $10 million financing to support ongoing expansion:

http://www.mblox.com/mblox/news/view.asp?id=42

mBlox raises $10M

San Francisco, USA and London, UK – July 09, 2004

mBlox Inc., the premier provider of mobile messaging infrastructure services, today announced it has raised $10M (USD) in funding. The investors include Bank of America Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Novus Ventures, Duff Ackerman Goodrich, Entrepreneurs Fund and Avanti Capital Ltd. As part of the funding, Bank of America partner Rory O'Driscoll will join mBlox’s board of directors.

mBlox Inc. was created in June 2003 from the merger of mBlox Ltd, a leading European Short Message Service (SMS) service provider with MobileSys Inc., a pioneer in the U.S. SMS enterprise market. The new round of funding will be used to support mBlox’s ongoing expansion in Europe and the United States.
=====================================================

4 months later, mBlox had yet another CEO as Cuccio stepped up to co-Chairman:

http://www.mblox.com/mblox/news/view.asp?id=46

mBlox Appoints Jeffrey Clark as CEO

San Francisco, USA and London, UK – November 09, 2004

mBlox, the premier mobile messaging infrastructure service provider, today announced the appointment of Jeff Clark to Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Clark will be responsible for leading mBlox’s senior management team in the development and execution of the company’s operational plan for international growth.

Clark has a long and distinguished career in the telecommunications industry, most recently serving as the Senior Vice President of Vodafone Global Platform and Internet Services at Vodafone Americas. He also held various Vice President positions for the Vodafone Americas Asia Region, where his responsibilities included business development, operations and corporate governance. In addition, Clark served as Vice President of Business Development for Europe at Airtouch Communications, prior to its acquisition by Vodafone.

Gary Cuccio, who has served as mBlox’s interim CEO since June 2004, will step up to serve as co-Chairman, providing operational guidance as the company continues to expand in the US and in Europe. Andrew Bud, mBlox’s co-founder, will continue to serve as Executive co-Chairman, leveraging his deep industry expertise to provide the strategic vision for mBlox’s product development.

=============================================================

I still wonder why Hoffman ever left mBlox, which seems like it was growing gangbusters.

mBlox was indeed an SMS force in the USA:

http://www.mblox.com/mblox/news/view.asp?id=36

mBlox Launches End-To-End Premium Mobile Messaging in the USA

Atlanta, GA – March 16, 2004

mBlox, Inc., the premier provider of messaging infrastructure services in Europe and the United States, today announced it is the first company to complete end-to-end wireless coverage to deliver Premium SMS across the US. Covering the top four mobile operators in the US, mBlox will empower customers, such as mobile marketers, content owners and retail service providers to quickly deliver compelling wireless applications and monetize distribution on a mass market basis.
====================================================

mBlox was doing fun things with the likes of Britney:

http://www.mblox.com/mblox/news/view.asp?id=39

Mocca Selects mBlox to Distribute Britney Spears's SMS Programs In Europe

Los Angeles, USA, London, UK and Stockholm, Sweden – May 12, 2004

Mocca, LLC members recently announced it had selected mBlox Inc. to handle the distribution of its PSMS program for Britney Spears, Britney Mobile Live!™, for European fans. The mobile messaging program coincides with Britney Spears's European summer tour, Onyx Hotel.
=====================================================

But he left and co-founded his own company Uniqua in Atlanta(?), along with a subsidiary VectorLink, then came with our Neomedia.

Along the way Chip certainly made some good contacts. I hope he's got what it takes to save Neomedia and get Neomedia plugged in to the right people in the right companies somehow.

It's just bothersome to me that from mid-2004 forward Hoffman's ride seems just a little bit like a slide down a greased chute. Just my opinion, and just one admittedly very negative way of looking at it. I do hope he can get the job done here .... and soon.

jonesie