IBM Relabels Palm Computing's PDA

Extensions to Lotus Notes, IBM services will distinguish WorkPad from PalmPilot

By Bob Francis

BM made its first foray into the personal digital assistant market last week, offering a relabeled version of Palm Computing Inc.'s successful PalmPilot product and aiming it at corporate users. IBM plans to sell the PDA, which it's calling the IBM WorkPad, together with IBM software and system integration services in large corporate implementations. It plans to add extensions to Lotus Notes and other IBM products to exploit the WorkPad.

The WorkPad is essentially the PalmPilot with an all-black shell and the IBM logo, selling for $399. While the 6-ounce PalmPilot is sold by 3Com Corp., Palm Computing's parent company, primarily through retail stores, IBM will sell the system through its dealers. IBM says that various categories of corporate users-including stock trading firms, legal firms, and medical practices-require the mobility provided by a PDA, but will want to combine it with IBM's services. "We've seen a lot of interest from corporate customers," says Robert Amezcua, VP of IBM global mobile solutions.

Joe Moccia, manager of national purchasing for Coopers & Lybrand in New York, says his company is looking at the systems. "We have been following PC companions, and the PalmPilot organizer in particular, with great interest," says Moccia.

Several products from IBM's Lotus Development unit, including Personal Information Manager and Lotus Organizer 97 GS, currently work on the PalmPilot. Lotus also plans to offer additional Organizer and Lotus Notes synchronization applications via its Web site during the next three m onths, IBM officials say.

The WorkPad can be used as a mobile electronic calendar, address book, and notepad, and can transfer data to and from a desktop or mobile PC. An optional modem lets users send E-mail. Palm Computing's PalmPilot has been the most successful PDA to hit the market, far outstripping sales of systems based on Microsoft's Windows CE software, according to analysts.

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