Tumbleweed Communications Corp has signed three distribution deals in Japan to give its secure email software a bridgehead in the local finance market. Hewlett-Packard Japan Co Ltd, Matsushita Computer Corp and Toyo Information Systems Co Ltd will distribute Tumbleweed’s Integrated Messaging Exchange (IME) software suite. Shinji Eura, general manager of Tumbleweed KK, says that HP and Matsushita have a combination of high visibility in the Japanese market and experience in the finance sector, while Toyo will include IME in its systems integration business. Redwood City, California-based Tumbleweed established its Japanese operations last year. Tumbleweed’s Japanese arm provides 25% of the company’s total revenue, which was $3.8m last year. Eura says the three distribution deals will earn Tumbleweed 2bn yen ($19.3m) in revenue from the first two years.
