April 11, 2007 at 15:46Palm prepares Linux platform for future smartphones
Ed Colligan, Palm's chief executive , said the company will release a new Linux-based platform by the end of the year that will improve the performance and stability of their handhelds and smartphones.
Despite this, Palm will continue to use the Windows Mobile OS, which is in great demand among commercial customers and large telephone operators. Continuing to develop applications for the two products, Palm does not plan to stop its transition from PDAs to smartphones. Comparing the pace of this campaign, Palm increased the share of smartphones from 28% in 2004 to 86% in 2007.
Palm does not intend to license its new Linux platform to third-party manufacturers, but will use it to upgrade Palm OS, which will add old handhelds the ability to simultaneously process voice information and data traffic while maintaining the ability to switch between applications.
These changes will allow Palm to continue the trend of increasing sales to private customers and small businesses, as revenue from sales to businesses continues to decline. It is assumed that the share of sales to enterprises will fall from 50% in 2006 to 30% in 2009. On the contrary, it is expected that the share of small business buyers will increase from 20% to 30%, and the share of private customers will increase from 30% to 40%.
As for the iPhone, which haunts anyone, Ed Colligan believes that this smartphone has a slightly different market segment than Palm products, so there can be no competition here.
Despite this, Palm will continue to use the Windows Mobile OS, which is in great demand among commercial customers and large telephone operators. Continuing to develop applications for the two products, Palm does not plan to stop its transition from PDAs to smartphones. Comparing the pace of this campaign, Palm increased the share of smartphones from 28% in 2004 to 86% in 2007.
Palm does not intend to license its new Linux platform to third-party manufacturers, but will use it to upgrade Palm OS, which will add old handhelds the ability to simultaneously process voice information and data traffic while maintaining the ability to switch between applications.
These changes will allow Palm to continue the trend of increasing sales to private customers and small businesses, as revenue from sales to businesses continues to decline. It is assumed that the share of sales to enterprises will fall from 50% in 2006 to 30% in 2009. On the contrary, it is expected that the share of small business buyers will increase from 20% to 30%, and the share of private customers will increase from 30% to 40%.
As for the iPhone, which haunts anyone, Ed Colligan believes that this smartphone has a slightly different market segment than Palm products, so there can be no competition here.