Microsoft backs Skinkers alerts - eyeing the enterprise

Skinkers has done a deal with Microsoft that will see the Redmond giant spinout some of its technology to the desktop alerts specialist, take a seat on its board and acquire a 10 per cent stake in the company.

Yesterday Skinkers also announced a major new deal with the BBC, which will let the Beeb's users download notable dates and schedules to their PCs as well as the latest news and sports headlines. Skinkers has previously won the business of a number of major media outfits - the list also includes FT.com and WSJ Online.

The Microsoft deal, however, is with more of an eye on the corporate market. In addition to alerting publications' readers to breaking news, Skinkers has won enterprise business with the likes of Cisco, the London Stock Exchange and Motorola - for example alerting staff when there is a change on an intranet or a metric hits a certain mark.

Rob Noble, Skinkers COO, said: "[Our market] is increasingly for large corporates, for internal alerts beyond media."

Microsoft's Andrew Herbert, one of the company's research lab heads, will take a seat as Skinkers' seventh board member.

Microsoft technology developed out of its Cambridge labs will make its way into the Skinkers offering, although Noble pointed out negotiations involved talks with Redmond.

Skinkers is privately held. Its software development takes place in London and New Zealand.

Noble added: "We've got momentum now and established technology. We're doubling [sales] every year and due to be profitable in 2007."