AOL plans e-mail access for 3Com's Palm
Reuters - Posted at 7:37 a.m. PDT Tuesday, June 22, 1999
DULLES, Va., June 22 (Reuters) - Internet service provider America Online Inc.
(AOL.N) said Tuesday it would provide e-mail access through 3Com Corp.'s
(COMS.O) Palm series of handheld computers.
Under a strategic agreement, AOL and 3Com at first will offer e-mail through the
Palm Computing platform. 3Com will bundle AOL software into retail packages
of some Palm organizers and accessoriies. The move will enable AOL members to
send and receive mail via their AOL accounts from 3Com's handheld organizers.
As part of a market test, AOL will also offer its members a special Palm III
organizer and PalmModem bundle as another way to send and receive e-mail.
AOL and 3Com also agreed to two longer-term initiatives for delivering AOL
content and services via the handheld platform.
As part of the initiatives, they will explore distribution of AOL-branded wireless
handheld organizers based on the Palm Computing platform, 3Com's Palm VII
organizer and Web clipping technologies, and Sun Microsystems Inc.'s
(SUNW.O) Java II technology for the U.S. and international markets.
3Com and AOL also plan to develop a version of AOL software for the
Palm Computing platform. The software would allow subscribers access
to AOL content, e-mail, the Instant Messenger and Buddy List features,
online calendars and other AOL features.
''Today's announcement is exciting news for the more than 20 million
users who are Palm customers or AOL members,'' said Robin Abrams,
president of Palm Computing Inc., a 3Com unit.
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