Sun Will Get In Synch With PalmPilots
(02/02/99, 8:28 p.m. ET)
By John Gartner, TechWeb
Sun Microsystems licensed Palm Computing's HotSync technology on Monday and will develop Java applets to let Solaris users synch data automatically between their desktops and personal digital assistants.
Sun will develop software to connect desktop applications used on UltraSparc workstations to the PalmPilot line of information organizers. Applications included with the Sun Solaris operating system, such as Desktop Mail and Calendar Manager, will be able to exchange data with Palm apps such as Address Book, Date Book, Memo Pad, and PalmMail.
Sun addressed the needs of Unix system administrators and engineers in providing access to data secured on the popular Palm PDAs. PalmPilots are the fastest-selling retail PDAs and have sold more than 400,000 units in the past two years, according to market research firm PC Data.
Currently Unix users rely on a collection of independently written freeware utilities such as PilotManager for their data synchronization. Unix users will benefit from having fully supported cross-platform applications, said Barbara Kay, product line manager at Sun.
Sun will post software aimed at Sun Ultra workstations to the Web later this year and could develop full Java applications that would let PalmPilots communicate with any Java enabled device such as Sun's JavaStation, Kay said. "We haven't looked at packaging it and giving it to non-Sun people yet, but it is something that we could consider" she said.
Sun may roll the software into the operating system depending on the timing of the next Solaris update, said Kay.
|
