PALM WIRELESS WONDER 30/09/2004

PalmSource, developer of the leading handheld platform, is determined to get its share of the burgeoning smartphone market with the release of Palm OS Cobalt 6.1. The company announced its latest OS, designed to support telephony and wireless features with ease, at the European Developer Conference in Munich this week.

Palm devices have trailed behind in the push for wireless connectivity in Europe, with the recently released Wi-Fi expansion card supporting only two models. The Cobalt OS aims to remedy the situation by making it simpler and faster for manufacturers to produce Palm-powered smartphones and wireless handhelds.

“We did all the work we normally leave up to our licensees. They are still free to customise and innovate, and PalmOne and Samsung still do that. Many other manufacturers wanted solutions to harness end users directly. If we give them the phone operating system, it makes bringing devices to market easier,” Chris Dunphy, Director of Competitive Analysis for PalmSource, told WL.

Enhancements such as standard support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Blackberry compatibility, an updated web browser, built-in SDIO support, and integrated one-handed and five-way navigation optimise Palm OS Cobalt for use as a smartphone platform. PalmSource expects devices running the OS to hit stores in early 2005, including the much-anticipated Treo 650 with integrated Bluetooth.

Contact:
www.palmsource.com