OStatic

Open source mobile push email and sync provider, Funambol announced today it has acquired AJAX Web 2.0 framework provider Zapatec. Currently, mobile Web app developers are forced to build native apps for several different platforms, a process that's time-consuming and costly. Funambol's acquisition of Zapatec addresses the issue by offering a way for developers to build open mobile browser apps that take advantage of a phone's native capabilities, yet supports multiple devices.

Funambol CEO Fabrizio Capobianco tells OStatic he sees good things ahead as a result of this new partnership. Developers today need to build separate native apps for too many mobile platforms, including the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BREW, mobile Linux, Java ME and other proprietary mobile OSs and environments. It is too much work to support all of these platforms, which forces developers to make difficult choices about which phones to support

Stories of a struggling U.S. economy are on everyone's lips these days but some open source companies are doing what they can to help combat the pain. One vendor has decided to forgo a lavish holiday party this year and donate money to a local charity instead, while another is collecting canned food for the needy.

AOL rolled out a beta for an interesting new syncing option for mobile phone users, aptly named AOL Sync. It's powered by the open source mobile push email and sync provider, Funambol. This free service looks like a good alternative to Apple's often-maligned MobileMe or as a convenient way to keep an online backup copy of your phone's contacts in case of data loss.

Open source mobile messaging vendor Funambol plans to add micro-banner ads to its online portal myFUNAMBOL. Calling the ads prominent yet non-intrusive, Funambol representatives say the new advertisements will display in several areas of the email client, including the inbox and message viewing screens. Company CEO Fabrizio Capobianco, says the move will unleash a major revenue opportunity for service providers, portals and mobile operators. What's in it for myFUNAMBOL customers? Plenty.