David Peterschmidt told ComputerWire during an interview, he expects to fill out senior management, with particular attention given to the search for an individual to fill the long-standing vacancy as Openwave for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
A CTO would be expected to help improve co-ordination and integration across Openwave’s wireless client and server products, Peterschmidt said.
You want a CTO to recognize we have an abundance of products, look at that and say what does an integrated portfolio look like. They become a master architect of how those pieces can be woven together, Peterschmidt said.
Peterschmidt replaces Don Listland, who is leaving the technology sector, and his appointment comes after the company recently achieved breakeven during its first fiscal quarter. Openwave recorded $957,000 net income, or $0.01 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $737,000, or $0.01 per share for the three-month period to September 30. Revenue for the period grew 9% to $86.3 million.
An industry veteran of 25-years, Peterschmidt said his goal is to grow Openwave without coming off the rails.
His experience includes stints as chairman and CEO of Internet search specialist Inktomi, which he helped grow from 20 employees, taking the company public and ultimately selling it to Yahoo! Inc, whilst he also served as COO with Sybase Software Inc, growing the company’s revenue from $60 million to $1 billion.
I have a reputation for building strong management teams. As this company goes forward, filling out more of the senior management team in technical areas will help a lot, Peterschmidt said.
Peterschmidt expects to capitalize on his knowledge of Openwave’s carrier customer base, acquired through time spent with Inktomi, to further grow business. The company is staged for significant growth, and that’s my background, he said, adding he expects dramatic growth in Openwave’s browser-based business.
