The company products include the AirNote Internet Gateway, a server system that allows for users to send messages to wireless devices. The system delivers messages to alphanumeric pagers, digital phones and palmtop computers and uses a variety of networks, including the Internet, corporate e-mail accounts or the Web. Companies can use the gateway to set up their own customized Web site and can develop customized information feeds for their subscribers.

The company also offers AirNote e-mail services. With AirNote, users can use a specific e-mail alias attached to their alphanumeric pager or phone for transmission over one-way or two-way networks. AirNote e-mail sent to that address is immediately forwarded by AirNote to the wireless device and simultaneously sent to the receiver's separate desktop e-mail address.

Delivery confirmation can be sent back to the originator of the message. Subscribers can log on to the Wireless Services Web site, scan and retrieve messages, set delivery schedules and activate filters to select which e-mail messages get forwarded to their wireless device.

Among Wireless Services' clients are Nextel Communications Inc., which represents the developer's largest number of subscribers, Wood said. The enhanced specialized mobile radio operator uses the AirNote Internet gateway service to enable people to send messages to subscribers from the carrier's Web site. Wireless Services recently launched message delivery confirmation service for the Nextel application.

AirTouch Paging, Paging Network Inc. and SkyTel Communications Inc. are official resellers of AirNote. Western Wireless Corp. provides AirNote e-mail services for its VoiceStream Wireless subscribers, he said. Chuck Carey, manager for data and messaging services technology development at Western Wireless, said his company markets the service under the name @Stream. "It provides a convenient way for our customers to receive messages from other Internet users," he said. "They are a good company. They have been very responsive to our needs in working through the details. With any technology there are bugs, and they've been real good about working through those." Wood said he and much of the company's management team are former employees of McCaw Cellular Communications, CompuServe and Microsoft Corp.

He and his colleagues first devised the wireless messaging services as Notable Technologies, a company that they spun out of McCaw. AT&T Wireless Services Inc. was its largest shareholder, but that company later withdrew support. Notable Technologies shut down, and Wood and a few of his partners bought the core technology to form Wireless Services. Four of those partners own 70 percent to 80 percent of the company, he said.

"This time around we chose to take the approach of 'let's stay low, let's grow with the market.' When it becomes obvious that everything's reaching critical mass, we'll stick our head up. "It's turned out to be a really good strategy," he said. "We're profitable; we've been profitable for a year. We're now to a point were the networks are being built out, the market opportunities for these kinds of data services are really becoming obvious."