NEWS
Palm Selects Wind River as its Preferred Linux Platform Provider for the Palm Foleo Mobile Companion
2007 -- Wind River Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: WIND), the global leader in
Device Software Optimization (DSO), and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) today
announced that Palm has selected Wind River® Platform for Consumer Devices,
Linux Edition as its open standard Linux platform for future Palm® Foleo™
software releases. Palm selected Wind River Linux for its standard development
and deployment environment that will help speed applications to market, while
still meeting the requirements for a stable and robust open mobile platform.
Along with the platform, Wind River is providing its Wind River Workbench
development suite, professional services and customer support to help Palm and
its development community attain the efficiencies needed to compete in the
ever-changing mobile market. Today's announcement reaffirms Wind River's growing
leadership as a mobile Linux provider.
Palm and Wind River will work to incorporate Wind River's Platform for
Consumer Devices, Linux Edition to the Foleo over the coming months. The Palm
Foleo mobile companion is for people who understand that sometimes less is more.
With the press of one button, the mobile companion's large screen displays
wireless email from a paired smartphone. A smartphone is great for finding quick
bits of information or sending a brief response to an email. But there are times
when a full-size keyboard and a big screen is preferred to view attachments,
type longer emails, or to get a bigger-screen look at web pages and photos.
Plus, Internet access is available anywhere there is cell phone data coverage,
or when the Foleo is within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.(1) With Foleo's instant
on/off capability, light and small size, and 5-hour battery life, Palm expects
the mobile companion to establish a new category of personal-computing products.
"By building the Foleo on an open Linux-based platform and publishing the
tools developers need, Palm hopes to establish a vibrant developer community to
create new applications that extend the mobile companion's built-in
capabilities," said Mark Bercow, senior vice president, Business Development,
Palm, Inc. "Wind River's open Linux platform gives us the reliability,
performance and stability we need to continue driving innovation. Palm Foleo
allows you to switch between applications at the touch of a button, play a game
or write a memo, and synchronize your email. The Foleo makes you more productive
than ever on the go."
With Wind River's solution, mobile manufacturers now have a low-risk choice
for an OEM-grade mobile Linux platform, providing a robust development and
operating platform. Wind River provides the full service and support of its
technologies across a range of complex mobile devices. As a result, customers
can leverage the benefits of roll your own (RYO) while receiving the
efficiencies of developing on pre-integrated hardware and software.
"By offering an incredibly reliable architectural platform combined with an
organization committed to operational excellence, Wind River is rapidly becoming
the commercial Linux distributor of choice for mobile companies," said John
Bruggeman, chief marketing officer, Wind River. "The stability and flexibility
of Wind River's Platform for Consumer Devices, Linux Edition, coupled with Wind
River Workbench development suite give Palm the strategic platform and tools it
needs to differentiate the Foleo and help it deliver a solid platform for
developers."
About Wind River Platform for Consumer Devices, Linux
Edition
Wind River Platform for Consumer Devices, Linux Edition, is
the premier commercial-grade Linux development and deployment solution for
mobile handset, digital TV, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Platform for
Consumer Devices supports media rich OEM-grade mobile handset features. In
addition to a fully tested and validated distribution based on the latest Linux
2.6 kernel technology, Platform for Consumer Devices includes the Eclipse-based
Wind River Workbench development suite. The platform is backed by 24/7 global
technical support and specialized professional services to help jump-start your
next project.
About Wind River
Wind River is the global leader in
Device Software Optimization (DSO). Wind River enables companies to develop, run
and manage device software faster, better, at lower cost and more reliably. Wind
River platforms are pre-integrated, fully standardized, enterprise-wide
development solutions. They reduce effort, cost and risk and optimize quality
and reliability at all phases of the device software development process, from
concept to deployed product.
Founded in 1981, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California, with
operations worldwide. To learn more, visit Wind River at
www.windriver.com or call 1-800-872-4977.
(1) Requires compatible phone with Bluetooth wireless technology. Email
requires data services from a mobile service provider at an additional cost. ISP
and/or VPN may also be required. Within wireless service coverage area only. A
dial-up networking plan from a service provider may be required at an
incremental cost above and beyond the service provider’s regular smartphone data
plans.
The Wind River logo is a trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc., and Wind
River and VxWorks are registered trademarks of Wind River Systems. Other marks
used herein are the property of the respective owners.
Palm, Treo and Foleo are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned
by or licensed to Palm, Inc.
Contact Information
Jessica Miller
Global Corporate Communications