palmOne Licenses Microsoft Exchange Server Synchronization

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3479' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3479</a><br /><br /></div><i>"palmOne, Inc. has licensed Microsoft's Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol to enable the delivery of wireless and direct synchronization between Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and future Treo smartphones. The company is planning to use the technology to extend the company's device support for Microsoft Exchange Server by adding capability for wireless server-based synchronization."</i><br /><br />Did I just see a pig fly? 8O Honestly, this isn't really surprising. Microsoft based devices are starting to come equipped to handle sync'ing with either RIM's BB Connect or Microsoft's Exchange. palmOne had to pick at least one of these technologies to remain competitive. At this point any company running RIM or Exchange is not about to drop that investment for 1 new device. It just makes good business sense to add license the major technologies and implement them into your device. Thus allowing the customer to leverage their existing investments.

[Kris Kumar]

Palm based phones are getting pretty serious about smart phone market. palmSource is bundling BB Connect. And now palmOne is licensing Exchange. Cool. I would like to see all smart phone vendors (Symbian/Microsoft/Palm and Linux) to adopt all popular email sync mechanisms instead of just POP3, IMAP, and one of the following: Exchange, BlackBerry Enterprise Server (and anything else?).

[Mike Temporale]

(and anything else?).

Good is the only other one I know of.

[Kris Kumar]

Forgot to add...this news might scare BlackBerry Enterprise Server guys. BB, I believe in the not so distant future, will slowly start loosing hardware/device sales to better smartphones being put out by MS/Symbian/Palm. Enterprise Server and BB Connect software is what the company would bank on when the device sales diminish. This deal will affect their software sales in the future.

Now all Microsoft needs is get Symbian to sign up for Exchange access. ;-) Will that happen before pigs start flying? :-)

[Kris Kumar]

More related news, this time from Forbes.

PalmOne/Microsoft Deal Not Good For Good (http://www.forbes.com/technology/personaltech/2004/10/05/cx_ld_1005good.html)

I didn't know that Treo users had to rely on Good technology for E-Mail sync. And with this deal future Treo users will not need the Good middle layer. I was commenting on how this deal might affect BB, but seems like Good will take the immediate brunt.

[aristoBrat]

According to RIM's annual report, last year their revenue mix was:
28.8% service
57.7% handhelds
13.5% software, etc

I guess they're planning on selling a LOT of BlackBerry Connect licenses to make up for the hardware. Or maybe they'll charge the phone manufacturers money to include it on their non-BlackBerry hardware?