PalmSource Announces New Enterprise Initiatives

Posted By: Ryan Thursday, June 19, 2003 10:10:04 AM

PalmSource CEO David Nagel made a several new announcements during his keynote at CeBit America. PalmSource and IBM are working together to advance web services applications. In addition, PalmSource and Novell announced an agreement to market mobile messaging and handheld management tools to Palm OS and GroupWise customers.

Web Services
PalmSource and IBM are working together to provide the more than 270,000 registered Palm OS software developers with advanced tools to create powerful networked software programs that run on Palm Powered devices and enterprise servers, connected via wireless networks.

With the large number of applications used within an enterprise, Web Services facilitate the sharing of information, encapsulating data to provide a standards-based interface between proprietary enterprise systems. This will help enterprises integrate Palm Powered mobile devices and applications into their computing infrastructure. Using Web Services-enabled software, which is based on enterprise standards like the Extensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Web Services Definition Language (WSDL), Palm OS users will be able to access a wide range of applications and services across wireless networks and the Internet.

Under the agreement, IBM and PalmSource will collaborate on a Web Services software stack, including support for the Web Services standards and integrate them into the Palm OS software used in the world's most popular mobile data devices.

While Web Services are open industry standards with broad industry support, IBM Corp. is a leader in applying Web Services technology through its WebSphere® Application Server, WebSphere Micro Environment and other software tools and platforms. The collaboration between IBM and Palm Inc. subsidiary PalmSource will help IT managers to more easily deploy and manage Palm Powered mobile computing devices, including using the same proven WebSphere technology that IBM provides for server management of desktop and laptop computers. This relationship complements a recent announcement between Palm Inc. and IBM that provides a Java powered embedded runtime for the Palm Tungsten devices via IBM's WebSphere Micro Environment.

"We are delighted to collaborate with IBM, the most trusted name in enterprise computing," said David Nagel, president and chief executive officer for PalmSource. "As a former CTO and CIO myself, I know that IT managers want functionality that leverages existing resources as much as possible. This agreement will help make Palm Powered devices highly capable computing tools for the 21st century mobile enterprise so that workers will no longer have to run back to the office or hotel in order to do their work."

Handheld Management Tools
PalmSource and Novell have announced an agreement to introduce and promote mobile messaging and resource management solutions Novell GroupWiserand Novell ZENworks, along with solutions from Nexic Inc. and Notify Technology Corp. to Palm OS licensees. As part of the mobile GroupWise solution, PalmSource will make available a version of Nexic's popular Synchronis for GroupWise to all Palm OS licensees for individual Palm Powered device use. Synchronis makes features found in the GroupWise Windows client available through a native GroupWise client designed for the Palm OS platform, and will allow mobile users to synchronize and use GroupWise seamlessly on their Palm Powered devices.

PalmSource and Novell will also work to promote NotifyLink(TM) wireless email solution, from Notify Technology, which provides secure, real-time "over-the-air" synchronization and unique "push notification" between GroupWise and wireless Palm Powered devices to Palm OS licensees. NotifyLink currently supports Palm Powered wireless devices, including those using CDMA 1X-RTT, GSM/GPRS and WiFi networks.

Novell has chosen Palm OS as a preferred handheld platform for use with Novell GroupWise and ZENworks, and PalmSource has chosen Novell Nterprise, which includes GroupWise and ZENworks, as a preferred enterprise solutions suite. Palm OS licensees can work directly with Novell or other complementary solutions providers to offer enterprise customers Palm OS-based mobile solutions when using GroupWise and ZENworks

With Novell ZENworks, entire systems including desktops, laptops, PDAs and multiple server platforms can be managed together from in the office and on the road. By leveraging the user identity to set up policies and personalize access, applications and work environments, organizations gain unhindered productivity, increased organizational intelligence and can earn a quantifiable ROI of more than 2,000 percent. ZENworks makes mobile business easier by standardizing, deploying and managing software and device configuration across the entire organization.

Permalink |

Article Comments

(9 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

New OS6 Palm handhelds in November?

robrecht @ 6/19/2003 1:01:29 PM #

An article at the Inquirer outlines a couple of new OS6 Palm handhelds that are supposed to be out in November.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=10087

Thanks, robrecht

RE: New OS6 Palm handhelds in November?

robrecht @ 6/19/2003 1:05:25 PM #

"May have another model with an extra 64MB, total of 128MB"

Thanks, robrecht

Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

Satan @ 6/19/2003 1:08:17 PM #

Unfortunately, the feeble hardware they kept churning out at during the "Zen of Palm" era was suboptimal for proper business integration.

PocketPC has an obvious advantage called Microsoft - the ultimate lever. Dell is legitimizing PocketPC as an enterprise solution. In July, Gateway will be shipping a 400 MHz PocketPC model with CF and SD slots for $300, again showing that a lot of Palm OS hardware is comparatively overpriced. Microsoft's upcoming OS revision probably won't make a big difference, but next year's new OS will no doubt have the potential for tight integration into enterprise/business infrastructures.

Go to Dell, buy your company's server, workstations, PCs, laptops and PocketPCs all running Shades of Microsoft. Not necessarily the best solution, but one stop shopping is what businesses look for. Palm may eventually be able to cobble together an effective alliance, but they've already wasted too much time.

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

maddie @ 6/19/2003 1:51:49 PM #

Living up to your name!!!

You may actually be absolutely right!!!

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

Massman82 @ 6/19/2003 3:31:28 PM #

Why do you have to post the same thing in two news stories?

Clie NX60 - emailMassman82@PDArcade.com/email

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

helf @ 6/19/2003 4:56:01 PM #

its easier for him to copy/paste then type. lazy lazy ;)

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

enjolras @ 6/19/2003 5:21:43 PM #

Or could be a M$ Evangelist?

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

grg @ 6/22/2003 9:57:08 PM #

You don't actually want to buy an overpriced/oversized PDA, running a lame OS, from a company that has absolutely no knowledge of PDA development/marketing and no real innovation to show.
You are never going to stop foolish consumers from choosing overpriced "Intel inside" Dells over superior alternative machines. But PDA users tend to care more about what do they use and carry around everyday than the odd desktop "what-do-you-mean-there-are-computers-without-Windows?" user.

>PocketPC has an obvious advantage called Microsoft.
Nothing can beat Java's momentum.

RE: Palm needed to to have focused on business 2 years ago

Satan @ 6/25/2003 2:15:25 AM #

You don't actually want to buy an overpriced/oversized PDA, running a lame OS, from a company that has absolutely no knowledge of PDA development/marketing and no real innovation to show.

Many feel Palm's hardware - not PocketPC - is overpriced. Palm's "innovation" has produced a series of PDAs over the past several years that could most kindly be described as "boring". The Tungsten line represents the first bit of actual innovation seen from Palm in a very long time.

You are never going to stop foolish consumers from choosing overpriced "Intel inside" Dells over superior alternative machines

What a rebel you are. Some day you Apple/Linux/BeOS/Commodore VIC 20 geeks will eventually realize that the real world (the "foolish consumers" you disparage) cares more about mundane things like the standardization and simplicity of "Intel inside" Dells than they do about trying to be different by eschewing big bad Intel/Microsoft.

Nothing can beat Java's momentum.

Momentum? What momentum? Is this the New Physics where Momentum = Hype + (Dreaming x Marketing BS)? "Foolish consumers" already leery of the empty promises served up by Java on the desktop will believe that Java is the Next Big Thing for PDAs when it actually delivers real world apps that serve real world functions. And don't run in slow motion. Now that Palm has finally been forced to move beyond 33 MHz processors, Java will be given the opportunity to fall flat on its face in a whole new platform. We're waiting...