Palm, Vodafone and Microsoft collaborate on next-gen Treo Smartphone for Europe

DQC News Bureau

With an aim of expanding the adoption of wireless push e-mail in Europe, Palm is
collaborating with mobile operator, Vodafone. The Palm Treo smartphone that will
result from this collaboration will represent an industry first by operating on
Vodafone's 3G/UMTS network and delivering the hallmark Palm experience on top
of the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system.

The new Treo smartphone will be available first to Vodafone customers in
multiple European countries including UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and Netherlands,
before the end of this calendar year.

Talking about the partnership John Hartnett, Senior VP — Worldwide Sales
and Customer Relations, Palm said, “Partnering with Vodafone, a world-class
mobile operator, is a significant step to accelerate our geographic expansion
and serve more European customers. This collaboration will provide a powerful
tool for enterprise customers that delivers on the Palm promise of ease of use
and lets mobile professionals be fully productive while they are away from the
office.”

According to The Radicati Group, a market research firm, only an estimated
two percent of business e-mail inboxes worldwide are accessed via mobile today.
Palm and Vodafone is looking to target this large, untapped market with
real-time push e-mail using Microsoft's Messaging and Security Feature Pack
available on Windows Mobile 5.0, which includes Direct Push Technology and
enhanced security features.