3COM LICENSES PHONE.COM'S UP.BROWSER
[August 3rd 1999] 3Com Corporation and Phone.com announced today they have signed a licensing
agreement that allows Palm to incorporate Phone.com's Wireless Application Protocol
(WAP)-compatible UP.Browser in the Palm Computing(r) platform.
Leveraging its leadership in the handheld organizer market, Palm will license the industry-leading Palm Computing platform with integrated WAP capability to wireless handset manufacturers to develop devices that deliver
superior usability, connectivity, and immediate, reliable access to information for business customers and consumers.
"This agreement enables licensees of the Palm Computing platform to develop
outstanding wireless mobile phones with the small screens and keypad input for which WAP is optimized. WAP complements Palm Computing's web clippingSM
technology, which we are deploying in the Palm VII connected organizer
and which is optimized for similar devices from our licensees with larger screens and pen input," said Rob Hayes, platform product manager for Palm
Computing, Inc., a 3Com company. "We are pleased to team with Phone.Com to add their market-leading WAP technology to the Palm Computing platform. WAP
has wide support as a standard to deliver Internet information to mobile phones and is an important part of the Palm Computing platform's support for
manufacturers in that market."
The WAP Forum's global wireless application protocol specification leverages existing Internet standards such as XML and IP for all wireless networks.
WAP Forum members include terminal and infrastructure manufacturers; operators, carriers and service providers; software houses; content
providers; and companies developing services and applications for mobile devices. Phone.com founded the WAP Forum with Ericsson, Nokia, and Motorola
and plays an active role on the WAP board of directors and in leading the
technical evolution of the specification.
"The Palm Computing platform is well positioned to partner with leading wireless handset manufacturers and develop innovative wireless devices,"
said Jeff Damir, vice president of business development for Phone.com. "We look forward to working with Palm to enable a new breed of wireless handsets
that combine WAP's powerful Internet access capabilities with Palm's proven
strengths in ease of use and connectivity."
"3Com's broad licensing approach for the Palm Computing platform will create a new generation of connected devices, " said Bob Egan, research director -
mobile and wireless for the Gartner Group. "The mobile phone market will reach 1 billion users by 2003. 3Com's collaboration with Phone.com will
drive innovation in the high-end smart phone segment."
About the Palm Computing Platform
With an installed base exceeding four million customers, the Palm Computing platform is the foundation for the world's leading family of handheld
computing products from 3Com including the Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm IIIe, Palm
V and new wireless Palm VII connected organizers, in addition to a broad range of products from Palm Computing's strategic
partners. These products include the IBM WorkPad PC Companion, the Franklin-Covey Electronic DayPlanner, the Symbol SPT 1500 with built-in bar
code scanning capabilities for vertical markets, and the pdQ from Qualcomm.
www.palm.com
