Palm's New PluggedIn@Palm Program to Assist Developers
Secure Digital Cards Promoted for Hardware Expansion And Low-cost Software Delivery
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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to expand and support the 100,000-plus strong Palm(TM) registered developer community, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced the PluggedIn@Palm Program. This comprehensive program will help developers quickly create and launch new accessories and add-ons that further expand the capabilities of Palm-branded products. PluggedIn@Palm will lend assistance during every phase of development, from early concept and development through distribution and marketing.
"Palm developers are tremendously creative, and we want to help them speed products to market," said Alan Kessler, chief operating officer of Platform and Products at Palm, Inc. "Our size, our global reach and our contacts can help developers find the right manufacturing partner, the right go-to-market strategy and a quick path to customers via our own online Palm Store."
Building on 100+ Add-ons Already Available
Palm's PluggedIn@Palm Program (www.palmos.com/dev/pluggedin/index.html) will spur the creation of additional add-ons, further extending the capabilities of Palm handheld computers. Today, more than 100 add-ons and peripherals already are available, including wireless modems, infrared printers, GPS systems and MIDI players, and voice recorders. The Kodak PalmPix digital camera is among the most popular peripherals.
The program formalizes and expands the services Palm already has been providing select hardware developers. For example, JKS Technologie, a small hardware developer in Germany, created a simple-to-use memory backup solution for the Palm OS(R) platform, but did not have a manufacturer. Palm introduced JKS to Northstar Mobile, and as a result, Northstar manufactured and launched the memory backup as its first licensed product, MemorySafe(TM).
"Thanks to Northstar's industrial-strength help, we were able to get MemorySafe into cost-effective mass production quickly," said Jesko Klug, president of JKS Technologie. "We licensed our design to Northstar, and they paid for tooling, industrial design, and marketing costs. This left my organization to focus on what we do best -- create innovative software and hardware."
Many of the PluggedIn@Palm services are in place today, but a comprehensive set of tools, relationships and referrals will roll out over the next several months. Services available today include the following:
-- expansion parts store, through which developers can buy small
quantities of components such as Secure Digital (SD) cards and
Multimedia Cards (MMC) at low prices;
-- third-party product distribution through Palm.com;
-- manufacturing assistance via preferred manufacturing vendors; and
-- developer technical support.
The full program will be described Dec. 11-15 at PalmSource 2000, the premier developers' conference for the handheld-computing industry. PalmSource Week brings thousands of developers who write applications and create add-ons and other peripherals for use in the home, in business and in schools. The conference will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. (www.palmsource.com).
Building on Palm's Dual Expansion Architecture
Palm believes developers will use the PluggedIn@Palm Program to take advantage of the company's dual-expansion architecture. Palm-branded products can be expanded via an SD/MMC slot, which will debut in products in the first half of next year, or today via the handheld's serial port.
The program also helps software developers easily distribute applications and content for Palm products using low-cost SD or Multimedia Cards.
By accommodating SD and MMC, the slot offers the smallest, lightest, most elegant expansion solution for handhelds. Roughly the size of a postage stamp and the thickness of a credit card, these solid-state (no moving parts) cards offer an efficient channel for delivering large volumes of data, such as electronic books; maps and files holding digital pictures, video or audio; or a company's entire product and price list. The cards are ideally suited to handheld computers, mobile phones, smart phones, car-navigation systems, Internet music players and electronic books.
In addition to accepting SD memory or content cards, the slot will also accept input/output devices, such as a Bluetooth-enabled radio card. Palm believes SD's additional input/output capability is a distinct advantage over memory-only cards and one that will speed adoption of the standard.
Further, by using an MMC or SD card in tandem with an add-on peripheral that attaches to the serial connector, the number of possible solutions is expanded tremendously. For example, a user could combine a mapping application on an SD card with a GPS peripheral snapped on to the serial port, thereby pinpointing his or her exact location.
The PluggedIn@Palm Program
When fully operational next year, the program will include multiple services at key stages of development.
Concept Phase
Registered Palm developers working in the concept phase can take
advantage of Palm's new Expansion Development Kits. Designed to
accelerate and streamline developer efforts, these kits include CAD files
and mechanical drawings, a reference design, sample plastics and
connectors. Kits and sample connectors will be available for order.
Development Phase
As an idea moves into development, developers need very small quantities
of parts for prototype construction. To simplify the process of acquiring
and assembling these components, Palm has made arrangements with
Northstar Systems to create an Expansion Parts Store, able to provide
small quantities of components for product development. What's more, Palm
can pass on the cost savings to developers. Palm will continue to offer
developer technical support and directly provide sample code, access to
the knowledge base, white papers, FAQs and developer forums.
Production Phase
As hardware developers gear up for production, Palm can introduce
developers to preferred manufacturing companies and SD production
facilities.
Distribution and Marketing
Palm can provide referrals to third parties that will help developers go
to market. Additionally, Palm can introduce application developers to
republishers who can make and distribute applications
via SD or MMC.
Products could be sold through Palm's channel partners or through its own
Palm online store, or both.
Marketing assistance also is available. For example, the "Solutions Guide for PalmPowered Handhelds" is included in the product packaging for all Palm brand products, distributed at trade shows and sent by direct mail. Developers also can participate in the InSync Online direct-marketing program in which customers who request regular product and company updates receive them electronically. To register for InSync Online, go to palmos.com.
"Designed for Palm Handhelds" Program
To help create more awareness and visibility for the developers' products and to ensure a satisfying experience for the customer, Palm also debuted the "Designed for Palm Handhelds" Program. Developers who pass compatibility testing can qualify for the program and use the logo on their products and packaging. Palm will promote the new logo to help consumers quickly make good add-on choices. This comprehensive program will be described at PalmSource.
"The 'Designed for Palm Handhelds' logo will be our stamp of approval," said Byron Connell, vice president, Consumer Markets Group, Palm, Inc. "Just a glance will convey confidence that this innovative product works well with a Palm handheld."
As part of the program, products that qualify for the "Designed for Palm Handheld" logo also are eligible for placement on Palm's online store. The store is located at store.palm.com. Fourteen such products already have been posted to this site:
-- Corex CardScan(TM) Executive
-- Kodak PalmPix Camera
-- Landware BattPac Travel Kit
-- Landware goVox Digital Recorder (Palm III series)
-- Landware goVox Digital Recorder (Palm V and Vx)
-- Magellan GPS Companion(TM)
-- Northstar Mobile MemorySafe(TM)
-- Novatel Wireless, Inc. Minstrel III(TM)
-- Novatel Wireless, Inc. Minstrel V(TM)
-- Shinei Tsunamidi Midi player(Palm V)
-- Rand McNally's Streetfinder(R) GPS (Palm III series)
-- Rand McNally's Streetfinder(R) GPS (Palm V and Vx)
-- Shinei i-Vox Digital Voice Recorder (Palm IIIc)
-- TDK(R) GlobalPulse(TM) Nokia 5190/6190
Secure Digital Consortium
The SD card was developed by the Secure Digital Association, an industry consortium comprising more than 150 leading companies, including Palm, Hewlett-Packard Company, SanDisk and Matsushita (Panasonic). The prominence and breadth of consortium members means cards will work in a growing variety of consumer-electronics products. For more information, refer to the June 27, 2000 release "Palm Brand Products to Feature Secure Digital (SD) Card Slot for Expansion" (http://www.palm.com/pr/062700c.html).
SD slots also accommodate MMC cards.
About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers (source: IDC, December 1999). Based on the Palm OS(R) platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow people to carry and access their most critical information with them wherever they go. Palm handhelds address the needs of individuals, enterprises and educational institutions through thousands of application solutions. The Palm OS platform is also the foundation for products from Palm's licensees and strategic partners, such as Cresenda Wireless; ePocrates, Inc.; Franklin Covey; Handspring; IBM; Sony; Symbol Technologies; and TRG. Platform licensees also include Kyocera and Nokia. Palm went public on March 2, 2000. Its stock is traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol PALM. More information is available at www.palm.com.
NOTE: Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm and PalmSource are trademarks of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries.
SOURCE Palm, Inc.
CO: Palm, Inc.
ST: California
IN: CPR MLM TLS
SU: PDT
11/08/2000 08:30 EST prnewswire.com |
