No Longer on The Q.T.
Trolltech, a mobile Linux development company, was in the early stages of building Qt, the cross-platform application development framework used for the development of GUI programs and for developing non-GUI programs such as console tools and servers. Qt was being used in Photoshop Elements, Google Earth and Skype and the company was laying the foundation for an open phone initiative and the market for Linux-based mobile phones.
First Open, Green Phone
Sparkpr set out to help Trolltech launch its Greenphone, a smartphone with the first fully open handset designed for the development of open-source applications. We used the LinuxWorld Conference to announce the Greenphone, which was the first fully reprogrammable Linux phone. We targeted much of our press activities around developers, the creators of applications for Linux-powered devices. We also leveraged Trolltech into news stories around Android.
Creating Value For Acquisition
The media results Sparkpr achieved for Trolltech’s technology and Greenphone were outstanding — from placements in CNET to Slashdot to BusinesWeek. Nokia acquired Trolltech’s software development frameworks and application platforms to bolster its position in the mobile device arena and compete against Motorola, Google and to encourage developers to create Internet applications that work across Nokia devices.
