General Dynamics acquires NICTA start-up Open Kernel Labs

Media Release

12 September 2012

General Dynamics acquires NICTA start-up Open Kernel Labs

NICTA start-up company Open Kernel Labs (www.ok-labs.com), a leading provider of virtualisation software for securing wireless communications, applications and content for mobile devices and automotive in-vehicle infotainment systems (IVI), has been acquired by General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), an aerospace and defence company.

The majority of OK Labs’ employees work in a team of highly skilled engineers and software developers at the company’s R&D and software engineering headquarters in Sydney. This operation will be retained under the new ownership as a new division of the company, and is set for expansion under the leadership of Steve Subar, Co-Founder and CEO, OK Labs.

“As part of General Dynamics, we will continue to deliver innovation and excellence in the areas of mobile and automotive virtualisation,” said Mr Subar. “I am looking forward to leading this expert team as we meet the growing needs of military, government, and commercial customers.”

OK Labs’ software is deployed on 1.6 billion devices around the world, enabling security for remote access to corporate and government assets while protecting everything that runs on the device. The company was spun out of NICTA in 2007, under Steve Subar’s leadership. He was previously Entrepreneur-in-Residence at NICTA.

“NICTA is very proud of the achievements of OK Labs and its team of talented engineers in Sydney,” said Dr Phil Robertson, NICTA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer. “This team was assembled and led by Scientia Professor Gernot Heiser, John Lions Chair at the University of New South Wales and NICTA Research Group Leader, who was Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of OK Labs. I look forward to seeing the business flourish with the support of a strong, well-resourced organisation like General Dynamics.”  NICTA will continue to undertake original and important research in the secure software systems arena.

See the General Dynamics press release at http://www.ok-labs.com/releases/release/general-dynamic-acquires-open-kernel-labs

About NICTA

NICTA (National ICT Australia Ltd) is Australia’s Information and Communications Technology Research Centre of Excellence. NICTA develops technologies that generate economic, social and environmental benefits for Australia. NICTA collaborates with industry on joint projects, creates new companies, and provides new talent to the ICT sector through a NICTA-enhanced PhD program. With five laboratories around Australia and over 700 people, NICTA is the largest organisation in Australia dedicated to ICT research.

NICTA is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the Australian Research Council through the ICT Centre of Excellence Program. NICTA is also funded and supported by the Australian Capital Territory, the New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian Governments, the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology and Monash University.

For further information:

Dorothy Kennedy

Communications Specialist, NICTA

Ph: 02 9376 2098 or 0488 229 687