Handspring, RIM Getting Close
Two wireless rivals may be realizing that they are stronger together than apart, according to a report by the Toronto Star Friday.
Handspring President and CEO Ed Colligan told the Star that his company --
maker of the Treo Communicator, a device which combines a Palm OS PDA with
a mobile phone -- is making overtures to rival Research In Motion
RIM has gained a sizeable foothold in the enterprise market, with companies
turning to its Blackberry Enterprise Server and Blackberry e-mail devices
to deliver e-mail to employees wirelessly. According to the Star, Colligan
wants Handspring to license RIM's software, allowing Blackberry Enterprise
Servers to deliver e-mail to its Treo devices.
He said that enterprise customers have told him that they would use the
Treo if it didn't mean replacing their existing e-mail server software.
Handspring has already licensed RIM's keyboard technology, as has Palm. And
last November, Finnish titan Nokia licensed the Blackberry e-mail software
for its phones.
that would allow the Treo to support RIM's Blackberry
software.