Palm: Bluetooth Core of Connectivity Strategy

Palm Says Bluetooth is at Core of its Connectivity Strategy
By Daniel Terdiman, Feb 12 2002

Hardware side of company thinks wireless standard will largely replace infrared - and sooner rather than later.

In just a matter of weeks, Palm will release its Bluetooth SDIO (secure digital input/output) card, a tiny peripheral that will enable most of its newest handhelds to communicate wirelessly with a wide range of other devices equipped to handle the increasingly popular standard.
Palm expects that in the early going, users will largely be interested in the card for its ability to connect their PDAs to Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. But down the road, the company thinks, the standard will become perhaps the most crucial component of its connected strategy.

Context

In many people's minds, Bluetooth and 802.11b – also known as Wi-Fi – are competing to become the local area wireless standard of choice. In some ways that's true, but to hear Palm talk about it, the two are complementary, not competitive. And indeed, both standards are finding new fans and new adopters in both the wireless arena and in the enterprise.

Palm, however, is taking the position that Wi-Fi is not compatible with its devices, mostly due to form factor and power requirements, and it has therefore for some time been preparing its developer and user communities for its decision to put Bluetooth at the core of its connectivity plans. Last month, the company said it would soon release its Bluetooth software developer's kit, and also last month, it announced it had begun working with Broadcom on the development of Bluetooth-based personal area networks using Palm devices.

The roadmap

In a session at the PalmSource developers conference in San Jose called 'What customers want from Bluetooth,' Eric Klein, manager of emerging software solutions at Palm, told a capacity crowd that the company is unequivocal in its desire to be the one that sets the agenda and defines the handheld experience for Bluetooth. "Anything less is unacceptable for us," Klein says.

To wit, Palm has created a roadmap for Bluetooth centered around the idea of a two-device wireless strategy involving Palm PDAs and mobile phones. Over the next couple of years, Palm intends to integrate Bluetooth in all its handhelds and thinks it can lead the way with a strategy that focuses on communication, collaboration and connectivity. "Bluetooth is Palm's next IR," Klein preached to his audience.

Technology

In the short term, Palm's Bluetooth strategy revolves around its soon-to-be-released SDIO card. Palm sees this stage of its plan appealing to early adopters, and Klein explains that it should last through the end of 2002. Essentially, the company hopes its customers will start using Bluetooth during this phase to connect its PDAs with mobile phones, initiating and logging voice calls and writing SMS messages on the PDAs while sending emails and SMS messages from the phones.

In addition, Palm envisions its Bluetooth-enabled PDAs being used for simple collaborative applications as well as for wireless printing. Finally, this will be the first time that Palm promotes the idea of discarding the cradle, with Bluetooth enabling synchronization between the PDA and a PC.

In 2003, during the next phase, which Klein terms "mainstream adopting," Palm will begin integrating Bluetooth in some of its PDAs, although it will continue selling its SDIO card. The company imagines that its customers will start using Bluetooth for more enterprise-oriented tasks during this period, such as linking Palm PDAs to audiovisual equipment and wirelessly running presentations on projectors. In addition, Klein says, there will be more and more project-based collaboration between PDAs and PCs, some real-time data store access and what Klein calls "seamless network migration." Finally, and perhaps most importantly given Palm's two-device strategy, will come the ability to control mobile phone profiles with Palm PDAs.

For late 2003 and early 2004, Palm envisions what it calls the "ubiquity" stage for Bluetooth. By then, all Palm PDAs will come with integrated Bluetooth, and the company hopes that the standard will have become widely adopted. It imagines that during this period its PDAs will be used as part of sophisticated wireless end-to-end multimedia solutions.

Further, Palm is counting on the rise of e-wallet applications in which Bluetooth-enabled devices are used to wirelessly pay for anything from fast food to sodas from vending machines. And in a nod to Bluetooth's so-called competitor, Klein says Palm also imagines the standard integrating with Wi-Fi during this period, linking handheld devices to wireless local area networks.

Conclusion

While it's not clear if Palm's strategy approaches bet-the-company importance, it is readily apparent that Palm, for one, believes wholeheartedly in Bluetooth as a standard that opens up a wide range of applications, both for the enterprise and for consumers. To hear Klein talk about it, Palm is intent on replacing infrared and sees Bluetooth as a technology that will enable its users to take advantage of the best that wireless devices have to offer.

Further, Palm hopes that by making its commitment to Bluetooth evident now, it will gain credibility as a company that can lead the way and keep its own, its customers' and its industry's interests in mind. It had best succeed, as a lot is riding on the outcome.

The451.com offers critical news analysis, comment and opinion on the technology, communications and media industries with an emphasis on their convergence.

http://www.thefeature.com/article.jsp?pageid=14160

Palm, Inc.: Palm at CeBIT 2002 Hall 2, Booth B36 Bluetooth and wireless LAN take centre stage; Variety of solutions for consumer and enterprise customers

M2 COMMUNICATIONS - March 01, 2002 12:51
Mar 01, 2002 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Palm, Inc., the leading provider of mobile Internet solutions and leading manufacturer of handheld computers, will exhibit this year at CeBIT in Hall 2, Booth B36.

Palm will showcase its latest handheld product range and new enterprise focused wireless products and solutions including those designed to improve personal productivity. Palm will showcase wireless networking of Palm(tm) handhelds using Bluetooth and the WirelessLAN standard 802.11b as well as faster data transmission rates using technologies including GPRS and HSCSD.

Palm's 320 square metre booth will also feature the great variety of applications developed for the Palm OS platform, which will be demonstrated by Palm and other solution providers.

* Wireless networking via Bluetooth and Wireless LAN The Palm Bluetooth Card, which will be available in the first quarter 2002, will be at the centre of the wireless communication solutions on show. The SD Card (slightly larger than a postage stamp) enables fast, simple and secure communication among Palm handhelds and other Bluetooth-enabled devices, including mobile telephones, notebook computers, printers, network hubs and even other handhelds - in a radius of up to 10 metres and with a data transmission rate of up to one megabyte per second.

Based on the Secure Digital Input/Output (SDIO) open standard, the Palm Bluetooth Card can be used in Palm products which are equipped with the Palm Expansion Card Slot - currently Palm m125, m500 and m505 handhelds.

To foster the development of Bluetooth compatible programmes and corresponding terminals, PalmSource, Inc. has already provided a new beta version of its Software Development Kit (SDK) for Bluetooth solutions based on the market-leading Palm OS platform. The SDIO Bluetooth Hardware Development Kit (HDK) is also available for $199 US. The developer kits can be downloaded from www.palmos.com or from www.palm.com/pluggedin.

The Intel Xircom Wireless LAN module for Palm m125, m500 and m505 handhelds enables high-speed wireless access to e-mail, Internet or enterprise networks. The module, based on the 802.11b standard, has a reach up to 300 meters and needs only a single compatible access point.

* The wireless booth Wireless technology will be demonstrated live at the Palm booth. In addition to an almost complete WirelessLAN network by Xircom, Eyeled GmbH has also developed an information system based on infrared which will be utilised by Palm and other solution providers throughout the booth. Through efficient infrared transmitters, visitors to the various stands can download text and graphics onto their Palm handhelds outlining the key features of that company's activities at CeBIT as well as a stand overview, product range information and solution details.

* Handheld solutions and applications Leading solution providers from the handheld sector will introduce their enterprise and consumer solutions and applications. These include 3n consult, Belenus GmbH/Mobexx, Delineo AG, Electric Pocket, Electronics For Imaging, Extended Systems, Eyeled GmbH, Ferropilot (MWI), Filemaker, G-Data, Iambic, Intel/Xircom, Logitech, MWM, Nova media, POCKETWARE, Pumatech, PDASSI, TDK Systems Europe, Tipware.

Visitors to the Palm booth can also receive the eBook "Die falsche Schlange" by Manfred Wegener, along with Palm Reader(tm) which will be beamed directly to their handhelds.

CeBIT - The World's Leading Event
http://www.cebit.de/homepage_e?channel=2

Cebit 2002 Product Highlights (Search)
http://www.cebit.de/globis/007/2002/..._host=c0a80e38

Cebit 2002 Bluetooth Products
http://www.cebit.de/globis/007/2002/...596&suchart=pg

Cebit 2002 Exhibition Plans
http://www.cebit.de/21772
Hall Plans
Here you find the plans of the exhibition halls for download:
http://www.cebit.de/21774

Interesting to check Palm Presentations
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir...lm&script=1200

Palm Presentation at Robert Stephens Technology Conference
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...obbie_eric/sld 001.htm

Palm has regained focus and market traction.

Accelerating the pace of innovation:
-i705 e-mail/communication solution
-Palm OS for ARM Platform
-Bluetooth
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ric/sld006.htm

Palm OS 5 New Features
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ric/sld027.htm

Palm introducing a broad array of wireless technologies this year:

-Bluetooth
-802.11
-GPRS/CDMA/Mobitex

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ric/sld030.htm

Personal Area Networking Power
17:00 PM GMT on Feb 06, 2002
[Bangkok Post]

One milliwatt of wireless energy can be extremely powerful.

That was my feeling as I entered text and joined in sketching on a Bluetooth-enabled Palm m505 in Singapore last week, wirelessly sharing the PDA's colour screen in my hands with two senior executives from Palm, who were demonstrating what they believe to be the next wave of computing: the Personal Area Network.

The application was called Blueboard, and it allows people to draw images or to write words that are simultaneously displayed on up to eight devices within a range of 10 metres (about 30 feet).

Each participant is assigned a different colour and hence it is clear who the author of a word or sketch on the screen is _ or who is asking a question of the group.

This application was very simple. Even an eight-year-old would have appreciated and immediately enjoyed sketching something or adding a comment such as ``cool!' alongside someone else's sketch or cartoon figure.

Tapping around in this beta application also conveyed to me just how powerful Bluetooth wireless networking technology can be and I think that it will spark rapid growth in the market for hand-held computers in the very near future.

Bluetooth is not quite yet out on the Palm platform, but we are only a matter of weeks away from the debut. Last month, the company released a Bluetooth hardware and software development kit.

It is certain that Bluetooth capabilities will soon be a standard feature of all PDAs, first appearing as an option for the high-end models from Palm. It is also worth bearing in mind that this feature will come with no service fees or surcharges since there is no infrastructure or mobile phone network involved.

In addition, the 802.11 Wireless LANs (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth consumes the negligible power of one milliwatt (a thousandth of one watt) although battery life has never been an issue for Palm PDA users, since with typical use they last for up to two weeks before needing a recharge.

Bluetooth adds a new dimension to what you can do with a PDA and could be just what the hand-held computer market needs to propel these devices from being relatively niche products into the mainstream. So far, just over 20 million Palm OS PDA's have been sold in a little over six years.

Until very recently, the Bluetooth wireless protocol had been mostly talk or hype, but last year the first Bluetooth-enabled products appeared. You can buy a Bluetooth mobile phone from Ericsson or Motorola, along with a Bluetooth headset _ and then you will have a ``hands-free' that doesn't come with a trailing cable.

In a matter of weeks, Palm Inc. will have a Bluetooth expansion (SD I/O) card on sale for the m500 series of PDAs while later this year Bluetooth will be integrated into its newest high-end models, executives of the company promised in Singapore last week.

The two Palm executives giving the Blueboard demo were the company's Senior Director for Custom Solutions Claudia Romanini and Palm's Market Development Manager Paul Leeper.

They pointed out that we were now in a connected world where there would be essentially three kinds of networks: wide area networks, local area networks, which were now becoming increasingly wireless, and then personal area networks.

Ms Romanini explained that although PDAs had up to now been mostly personal information managers, they would become the anchor point for the Personal Area Network, which people would take with them.

Bluetooth was an ideal technology for this, she said, adding that Palm had been very focussed on this for about a year.

One example of how a personal area network is used with Bluetooth is in the way that a PDA can initiate an outgoing call from a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone, such as to a number listed in the PDA's address book. If a Bluetooth headset is used as well, the phone need never be touched during the call.

Palm, which earlier this month reorganised by separating its branded Palm PDA (hardware) division from its operating system or platform division, now offers several expansion offerings for its m500 series of PDAs that include postage-stamp sized SD (secure digital) cards or MultiMediaCard Association cards (MMCA media), along with a universal connector.

Mr Leeper pointed out that there were now many add-ons available both in SD cards as well as ``sleds' that used the Palm's now-standard universal connector. Examples of these that he cited included an 802.11 wireless networking sled from Xircom that contained its own battery to sustain this relatively power-hungary accessory for up to eight hours, a PalmPix camera adapter from Kodak, the Magellan GPS from Thales Navigation or a USB card or PCMCIA adapters from TDKsys.

SD cards can contain up to seven different functions, and he predicted that we would be seeing multifunction cards soon, such as one that might combine a GPS (global positioning system) monitor and a camera to tell you where a picture was taken, for example. Bluetooth capabilities might also be built in to this card too, he noted.

Palm is now putting the final touches to its Bluetooth implementation and Mr Leeper said that the company was now perfecting battery management issues. Initially it will come in the form of a Bluetooth SD IO card option, although a Palm executive promised delegates to its Enterprise summit last week that it would be integrated soon.

Already there are several Bluetooth products available in addition to the hands-free headsets from Motorola or Ericsson. Both these telecom giants have several models of Bluetooth mobile phones, as do Nokia, Alcatel, DoCoMo and some others.

Other peripherals include the HP Deskjet 995C printer that has Bluetooth built in to it while Epson has a printer dongle from Epson that plugs into the parallel port. Other Japanese manufacturers are also said to be developing peripherals for Bluetooth as well.

Mr Leeper noted how Palm was now looking for developers to join its PluggedIn programme to develop hardware and expansion solutions _ so if you are such a developer then this should now be a good platform if, as I suspect, Bluetooth and Personal Area Networking will do for PDAs what Ethernet and LANs did for the personal computer some 15 years ago.

http://www.anywhereyougo.com/bluetoo....po?id=1770207

Palm Bluetooth Starts Here
http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/bluetooth/

Palm OS 5: Wireless Connectivity
http://www.palmos.com/platform/os5/osdatasheet_6.html

Palm Bluetooth whitepaper (PDF, 881kb)
http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/bluet...oth_mwp_r1.pdf

Bluetooth can perform a number of automatic functions:

• A PC and Palm can be set up so that when they are in proximity, an auto-sync takes place. So instead of putting the Palm in the cradle and hitting the HotSync button, just walk within a few feet of the PC and the two will automatically synchronize.

• One Bluetooth-enabled phone can do three tasks. At home, the phone functions as a portable phone, using a landline. When the user is on the move, it functions as a mobile phone, and when the phone comes within range of another Bluetooth mobile phone, it functions as a walkie-talkie.

• A user can compose e-mail on a Bluetooth-enabled laptop while flying on an airplane and queue up the e-mails to be sent. In her briefcase is a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, switched off. After she lands, she switches on the cell phone, which connects to the Internet and transmits the mail while she waits for her luggage.

• A field rep has a sales meeting noted in her PalmPilot, and the meeting time changes. Someone calls the rep's cell phone, transmits the new data and the phone routes the new information to the PalmPilot, which beeps to let her know her schedule has changed.

• Products and accounts can be assigned a scanning code. With a swipe of a mobile phone, a sales rep can transmit on-hand inventory status and order information back to the main office.

A peek at Palm's Bluetooth applications: BlueBoard and BlueChat
http://www.infosync.no/show.php?id=1547


Palm Bluetooth™ Card

Slip a Palm Bluetooth™ Card into the Palm™ expansion slot, and you can begin enjoying the advantages of Bluetooth wireless communications. Your can send and receive SMS and e-mail messages - and browse Web content - on your Palm™ handheld via a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone in your pocket or briefcase. You can also synchronise to a Bluetooth-enabled laptop computer or print to a Bluetooth-enabled printer. Finally, Bluetooth network access points let you stay connected with your corporate network from anywhere in the building. You can even collaborate with remote colleagues using chat and virtual whiteboards.

http://www.palm.com/europe/products/bluetooth/

Palm dabbles with Bluetooth
http://www.infosync.no/show.php?id=1432

The New Palm OS That Goes Whoosh

Nagel, who unveiled the new OS to the public last Tuesday at the PalmSource Conference in San Jose, says Palm OS 5 is as simple to use as the old system, but it incorporates extra layers of encryption for security. It also supports 802.11b wireless Internet access and Bluetooth.

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,50216,00.html

Palm's new colour PDAs go wireless
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,87086,00.asp

Palm Bluetooth SD Card Price: £116.33 (99.00 exc.) Stock Availability: In
Stock
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=SD-T800P

Palm Bluetooth SD Card
Price £ 99.99 (£117.49 inc. VAT)
Availability: Est 2 day
http://www.blueunplugged.com/main.as...nge&prodID=113

Palm Bluetooth SD Card Excl £99.99
Incl £117.49
http://www.alltalking.com/devices/pal00001.htm

Forbes on Palm and Bluetooth
http://biz.yahoo.com/fo/020308/0308tentech_1.html

PDAs set pace of wireless uptake
http://www.thestandard.com.au/idg2.n...256B6D001D665C!OpenDocument&NavArea=Home&SelectedCategoryName=News

Palm Bluetooth card cuts wires
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t294-s2104780,00.html

The product that has the most industry backing is the Secure Digital, or SD, format that is being backed by over 150 companies worldwide. It is smaller then the Memory Stick and is quickly becoming a major standard for adding memory and i/o features to digital cameras, PDAs and cell phones.

The SD format comes in two main flavors. The first format is called MultiMediaCards and they come in four types: (1) SecureMMCs (content protection and e-commerce) and standard MultiMediaCards such as: (2) ROM, (3) Flash and soon, (4) OTP (one-time programmable) storage.

The other format is the mainstream SD Cards which offers secure flash memory and I/O features such as Bluetooth, cameras, bar code readers, GPS, etc. Both formats can also be used in many digital cameras as well as PDAs from vendors such as Palm, Compaq, HP, and many others, and is likely going to be the most heavily backed industry standard for next generation add-on memory and i/o products.

The Memory Stick and Secure Digital cards are quite important for two key reasons. The most obvious is its small size. This allows vendors who use it to create devices that can be smaller.

But another key reason is that with large industry backing, which includes the inclusion of a Memory Card or SD card reader in everything from laptops to VCRs, DVDs, TVs, MP3 players and even next generation integrated home entertainment consoles, these cards can be used to transfer data among these mostly incompatible devices and in a way serves as a data transfer common denominator.

A good example of this would be to take pictures on a digital camera that uses the SD Card format, and then take it out of the camera and pop it into a DVD player or a TV that has an SD Card reader inside and instantly display the pictures through or on these disparate devices.

Keep your eye on this area of technology as I expect a lot of new and innovative products to come out based on these cards and add a whole host of new features and capabilities to many existing products.

http://www.anywhereyougo.com/bluetoo....po?id=2307977

Sony's Memory Stick receives SIG Bluetooth Qualification
http://messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=FN...9092&mid=24620