HTC invests in enterprise apps firm Magnet Systems

Handset maker buys stake in SalesWIN creator

HTC is attempting to make gains in the enterprise market with an investment in Magnet Systems.

The smartphone manufacturer has bought a 17 per cent stake in the enterprise platform company behind the SalesWIN application. HTC reportedly paid $35.4m for the transaction.

"HTC is expanding its presence in the mobile enterprise market and it recognises that Magnet's platform is poised to revolutionise mobile enterprise computing," HTC said in a statement to V3.

"HTC's strategic investment in Magnet will enhance HTC's understanding of this market and position HTC for long-term success by helping it accelerate and extend its mobile enterprise offerings."

Magnet Systems is a platform builder for mobile enterprise applications. The company is responsible for creating the Workplace Interaction Network (WIN) which is a public cloud platform used in conjunction with social applications for enterprise.

The company's first application to use WIN is SalesWIN, a Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. SalesWIN allows for companies to more openly communicate with customers through social networking and lets businesses plan out their sales approach through internal social communication.

Magnet chief executive Alfred Chuang made headlines in 2008 when he sold his company BEA Systems to Oracle for $5.8bn. BEA Systems was a middleware developer that built applications to connect databases and software.

HTC recently overtook RIM as the fifth largest handset maker in the world. Earlier this year, the company also vowed to stockpile patents in an attempt to keep up with Apple's growing portfolio.