NEWS.. NEW ORLEANS, Feb 29, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Palm, Inc., a
3Com company (Nasdaq: COMS), Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) and
iPlanet(TM) E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun-Netscape Alliance today
announced plans to develop an end-to-end solution that will provide
global wireless access to enterprise applications and services via Palm
OS(R) handheld computers. The solution will help enable mobile
professionals to access their corporate applications and data more
easily and securely -- anytime, anywhere. Sun, Palm and iPlanet plan to
jointly market the new solution to enterprise and service provider
customers worldwide.
As part of the proposed solution, iPlanet plans to add support for
Palm's Web clipping architecture and Palm OS handhelds to its new
iPlanet Wireless Server software, enabling corporate users to access
their enterprise data through Palm's Palm.Net(TM) wireless service. In
addition, Sun and iPlanet Professional Services, in conjunction with
Palm, intend to architect and deploy the enterprise wireless solution
worldwide. Palm and Sun have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent
regarding this proposed relationship that is subject to further
negotiation and the closing of a definitive agreement.
Simple wireless access to information housed in corporate data centers
can change the way mobile professionals do business. For example, a
sales representative could retrieve critical real-time pricing and
availability information for a customer, and allocate inventory once an
order is closed. This wireless solution would improve a company's
customer service and could streamline their internal sales,
manufacturing and financial processes.
"Palm is keenly interested in continuing to develop dependable and
secure ways for key enterprise applications to be extended to Palm OS
handhelds," says Alan Kessler, President of Palm, Inc. "We are very
excited about the combination of the Palm.Net service with Sun and
iPlanet solutions. This solution will pave the way for mobile
professionals to access critical enterprise applications, such as
e-mail and group calendaring, wirelessly from Palm OS products."
"As a leader in the handheld computing space, Palm is a critical
partner in helping Sun realize its vision of anytime, anywhere
computing," said Ed Zander, president and COO, Sun Microsystems. "With
the explosive growth of the wireless market, Sun wants to ensure that
our customers have access to their enterprise data via their device of
choice. The alliance with Palm marks a key step towards creating a
rich, reliable wireless access solution for the Internet and the
enterprise."
"The need for wireless access to information will explode over the next
few years as mobile professionals demand wire-line like access to
information," said Mark Tolliver, president of iPlanet E-Commerce
Solutions. "Palm, Sun and iPlanet each offer a critical component that
enterprise and service providers need to meet this growing demand. In
the end, the mobile professional will have access to a robust suite of
services and these services will be made possible because of the close
working relationship between Palm, Sun and iPlanet."
Palm Computing, Sun and iPlanet plan to market the enterprise wireless
solution aggressively to their enterprise customers, as well as to
Internet and Application Service Providers. Upon development and
deployment of the solution, iPlanet intends to market its applications
as Palm ready, while Palm intends to market its Palm.Net services as
iPlanet ready.
Palm is also evaluating the SunTone(SM) Certification and Branding
program and will explore SunTone Certification for the new wireless
services offered by the Palm.Net service. Certification under the
SunTone program would make Palm eligible to participate in additional
go-to-market initiatives from Sun -- including cooperative marketing,
financing and consulting -- that are supported by several thousand of
Sun's sales, service and marketing personnel worldwide.
About Palm, Inc. Palm, Inc., a 3Com company, is the leading provider of
personal companion products (IDC, May 1999), including the best-selling
Palm III(TM), Palm V(TM) and Palm VII(TM) series of handheld computers.
The Palm Computing(R) platform is the premier handheld development
environment and is the foundation for the market-leading handheld
computers from Palm as well as products from Palm's strategic partners
such as IBM, QUALCOMM, Franklin Covey, Handspring and Symbol
Technologies. Designed to support the increasingly mobile and
geographically dispersed nature of information management, the
company's handheld solutions allow people to carry their most critical
information in their pockets. For more information, please visit
www.palm.com.
About 3Com Corporation With over 300 million customer connections
worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people and organizations to
information and each other in more innovative, simple and reliable ways
than any other networking company. 3Com delivers e-Networking solutions
through information access products and network systems to enterprises,
small businesses, consumers, and service providers. For further
information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the
press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc. Since its inception in 1982, a singular
vision -- "The Network Is The Computer(TM)" -- has propelled Sun
Microsystems, Inc. to its position as a leading provider of
industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the
Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses.
With $13 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170
countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com.
About iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun Netscape Alliance iPlanet
E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun-Netscape Alliance, was established in March
1999 by America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL) and Sun Microsystems, Inc. to
provide easy-to-deploy, comprehensive e-commerce solutions for the Net
Economy. iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions provides the industry's broadest
portfolio of Internet infrastructure and e-commerce applications
software and services. The iPlanet Messaging, Directory, Web and
Application Server software all enjoy number one marketshare positions.
The portfolio also includes award-winning applications for Strategic
Internet Procurement, Internet Trading Communities, Internet Bill
Presentment and Payment, and Internet Selling within Open Marketplaces.
For more information, consult the iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions Web site
at www.iplanet.com or call 888-786-8111.
NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo SunTone, iPlanet and The
Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Netscape
and the Netscape N logo are registered trademarks of Netscape
Communications Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other
Netscape logos, product names and service names are also trademarks of
Netscape Communications Corporation, which may be registered in other
countries. 3Com, Palm Computing and Palm OS are registered trademarks
and Palm, Palm.Net, Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII are trademarks of
3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other brands and product
names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are
associated.
SOURCE Sun Microsystems, Inc.
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