Motorola Takes Equity Stake in 3Com's Palm Computing
[December 14th 1999] Motorola has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Palm Computing,. Under the terms of the MOU, Motorola expects to license the Palm operating system
for use in Motorola products. Additionally, Motorola has taken a minority equity stake in Palm Computing, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of 3Com Corporation.
"We see a whole new category of wireless devices emerging that combine popular PDA platforms with wireless communications," said Merle Gilmore, president of Motorola's Communications Enterprise.
"By combining the widespread appeal of the Palm operating system with the exploding demand for wireless communications, we will be
able to provide people with the personal networking capabilities they want and need."
The Palm Computing initiative is part of Motorola's overall
strategy to deliver wireless Internet solutions designed for use at home, work, play or anywhere in between. This development comes one year after Motorola became a shareholder in the Symbian joint
venture, which promotes the EPOC operating system for wireless information devices. Motorola remains committed to the Symbian
alliance, and is working with both Symbian and Palm to provide the leading platforms customers demand.
About Palm Computing
Palm Computing, Inc., a 3Com company, is the leading provider of handheld computing solutions, including the best-selling Palm III,
Palm V and Palm VII series of connected organizers. The Palm Computing platform is the premiere handheld development
environment and is the foundation for the market-leading connected organizers from Palm Computing as well as products from
Palm Computing's strategic partners such as IBM, Qualcomm, Franklin
Covey and Symbol Technologies. Designed to support the increasingly mobile and geographically dispersed nature of
information management, the company's handheld solutions allow people to carry their most critical information in their pockets.
