PalmSource Inc. will enter into partnerships with IBM Corp. and Novell Inc. to create software for Web services and promote wireless e-mail for Palm OS devices, said Albert Chu, PalmSource’s vice-president of business development.
The announcements will be made by PalmSource President and Chief Executive Officer David Nagel in his keynote address at CeBIT America in New York Wednesday, Chu said.
The operating system subsidiary of Palm Inc. revealed plans, along with IBM, to create a Web services software stack for Palm OS handhelds so developers and Palm OS licensees can create applications that can access servers with a Web services application programming interface (API), Chu said.
PalmSource is hoping that IT managers will choose handhelds with its operating system for their corporations if support for Web services applications is included with every handheld, Chu said. The companies are currently developing the software stack, and a finished product won’t be available for some time, he said.
PalmSource, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., also announced a deal with Novell Inc. to promote two third-party software applications for Palm OS handhelds in companies using Novell’s Groupwise e-mail software and Zenworks device management software. The companies will market Nexic Inc.’s Synchronis application for wireless connectivity with Groupwise calendar and contacts features, and Notify Technology Corp.’s NotifyLink wireless e-mail software, which is similar to Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry software, Chu said.
The products from Notify and Nexic are currently available from either company for use with PalmOS devices and Novell’s software, Chu said.
PalmSource is set to be spun off from Palm later this year, after Palm’s proposed acquisition of Handspring Inc. closes.