Xora, Mountain View, Calif., has merged with Gearworks, Eagan, Minn., into one location-based mobile business applications provider.


Under the name Xora, the two companies will join forces to offer their applications to more than 16,000 customers through partnerships with wireless carriers including Sprint Nextel, Verizon, AT&T, Telstra, US Cellular, Cbeyond, and Procall.

"By measures critical to our long-term success, including growth and diversification of revenues, product portfolio, channel partnerships and customer support capabilities, this merger is a big win not only for us, but also for the customers and partners of the new combined company," said Sanjay Shirole, co-founder and CEO of Xora.

Xora also offers location-aware mobile time clock and data collection solutions to companies with Time and Labor Management and Payroll services. The new product portfolio will include Xora's GPS TimeTrack suite of products and Gearworks' Field Force Manager, etrace, OnCare and Appmosphere offerings.

"The Xora-Gearworks merger is exceptionally well-timed to give the company pole position in the burgeoning market for handset-based mobile resource management solutions," said Jeanine Sterling, senior industry analyst for mobile and wireless communications at Frost & Sullivan.

The two companies' venture investors have infused an additional $8.5 million in equity investments as part of the transaction. As part of the change, Patrick Wack, former CEO and current chairman of Intralinks will join the Xora board of directors.

More info: www.xora.com/gearworks