Tuesday, October 5, 2004
PalmOne Signs Deal With Microsoft To Use Exchange ActiveSync
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "NEWS" @ 11:00 AM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20041005/tc_nm/tech_palmone_microsoft_dc
PalmOne has signed a deal with Microsoft that will allow PalmOne to put Exchange ActiveSync technology in their handheld devices, which will further bolster PalmOne's battle against RIM's Blackberry devices.
"PalmOne plans to use Microsoft's software in future versions of Treo phones that combine mobile phones and personal data organizing into one unit. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. By combining Microsoft's Exchange Server ActiveSync software into its devices, palmOne can eliminate the need to install additional servers -- expensive powerful computers used to run many corporate functions -- to shuttle data between e-mail servers and the mobile device."
I do have to insert my "I told you so" thought. :wink: Two years ago, I posted on then Palm's Tungsten Mobile Information Management Server. While most documents and references to the Tungsten MIMS product have been removed, you can still read Palm's original press release. The Tungsten MIMS name doesn't even appear at the PalmSource web site, though they reference some unnamed established, flexible and open software "platform" (their quotes, not mine)
At that time I said
They continue to press forward with this strategy. While I never believed Palm would be even slightly successful with the Tungsten MIMS product, I never imagined they would essentially abandon it in favor of plugging directly into Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync product.
Update: Please note this is not about the desktop software ActiveSync. It is the Exchange 2003 server component.
PalmOne has signed a deal with Microsoft that will allow PalmOne to put Exchange ActiveSync technology in their handheld devices, which will further bolster PalmOne's battle against RIM's Blackberry devices.
"PalmOne plans to use Microsoft's software in future versions of Treo phones that combine mobile phones and personal data organizing into one unit. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. By combining Microsoft's Exchange Server ActiveSync software into its devices, palmOne can eliminate the need to install additional servers -- expensive powerful computers used to run many corporate functions -- to shuttle data between e-mail servers and the mobile device."
I do have to insert my "I told you so" thought. :wink: Two years ago, I posted on then Palm's Tungsten Mobile Information Management Server. While most documents and references to the Tungsten MIMS product have been removed, you can still read Palm's original press release. The Tungsten MIMS name doesn't even appear at the PalmSource web site, though they reference some unnamed established, flexible and open software "platform" (their quotes, not mine)
At that time I said
Quote: Microsoft has a larger strategy in the mobile device space that goes beyond the PDA in your hand. Microsoft has a whole server infrastructure behind the Pocket PC accessible through Mobile Information Server, SQL Server and other server products, each carrying a hefty price themselves and additional client access licenses for each unit the enterprise connects to these servers, which in turn spurs sales of developer software, desktops, Office suites, etc. It is a vicious cycle that MS is enjoying all the way to the bank.
They continue to press forward with this strategy. While I never believed Palm would be even slightly successful with the Tungsten MIMS product, I never imagined they would essentially abandon it in favor of plugging directly into Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync product.
Update: Please note this is not about the desktop software ActiveSync. It is the Exchange 2003 server component.
