Can Palm serve two masters?

For three years, Palm's been wringing its hands over the success of Research in Motion's BlackBerry wireless e-mail pager. Coming out of nowhere, RIM captured the respect of network execs by giving them what they wanted: strong security, seamless integration with Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange corporate mail systems, and easy configuration and management. As a result, BlackBerry use has delivered great return on investment by decreasing remote dial-up and cell phone minutes, increasing remote and mobile workers' productivity, improving e-mail response time and overall quality of life.

That's a tough act to follow. But last week, Palm finally announced its answer to RIM, the Palm i705. The device is available now, but the package pieces - the enterprise software suite and Wireless Messaging Server - won't begin beta testing for a few weeks and won't ship until this summer.

Briefly, the i705, which costs $449, includes a built-in antenna, 8M bytes of memory, and has a 160x160 monochrome screen. It supports up to eight e-mail Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) accounts, including the required Palm.net wireless service. Palm.net runs over Cingular's network, and costs $20 per month for 100K or $40 per month for unlimited usage. The device supports AOL's Instant Messenger and offers a clip on BlackBerry-like mini keyboard ($49). The Palm i705's lithium battery lasts for two to three days of heavy usage, a week with light usage.

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Palm says the Wireless Messaging Server ($2,499) will offer "end-to-end encryption." It supports 25 users on either Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes; additional users will cost $49 each. Enterprises must also pay $40 per user, per month for Palm.net service. Advantages Palm touts include a flash-upgradable expansion card, one-number technical support and customizable billing services. Though the initial version won't support wireless calendaring, Palm says the feature will be added by year-end at no cost.

Palm users might find the i705 solution adequate. But Palm's solution shows an unwillingness to stop serving its consumer master, which results in a tendency to confuse features and flaws. For instance, the i705 supports AOL Instant Messenger, which doesn't encrypt or archive message threads. Palm's product manager in enterprise solutions group Gail Claspell insists AOL Instant Messenger is optional, but notes "that won't necessarily stop individuals from implementing it." Just what network execs want to hear.

Palm also touts the ability to support eight POP3 and IMAP mailboxes. Does that mean IT will have to support multiple e-mail accounts, personal e-mail accounts? At the very least it means users will need a $40 per month unlimited usage account to store all those messages.

There's more. The forthcoming Messaging Server and enterprise software suite only support the Palm i705, forcing you to upgrade existing Palm devices. Yet, the Messaging Server and Enterprise Software Suite won't be ready for another six months. If you buy i705s for your users today, you'll have to deal with supporting individual desktop redirection to "push" mail out to the devices.

Palm relies on Cingular's wireless network, so if you have an existing relationship with another wireless provider, forget it. There are no clear plans to support Global Package Radio Service (GPRS) networks, and Claspell says customers say they aren't interested in voice support, so there are no plans to add it.

The clip-on keyboard requires you to carry around two pieces of equipment (three, if you're a fan of that full size folding keyboard), and appears awkward to use. Battery (lithium ion) life is two to three days, a week, tops. Such design complaints may seem relatively petty, but if your users don't like the device, they won't use it.

RIM, on the other hand, serves one master. If you want to deploy wireless instant messaging, there's a BlackBerry version of Lotus Sametime. The BlackBerry Messaging Server supports one mailbox - user's corporate IMAP e-mail. And needless to say, the BlackBerry Messaging Server works with all BlackBerry devices. And the unique design -thumbable keyboard, scroll wheel/button, two-to-four week battery life - is so good users are dubbed "addicts."

Nor is RIM standing still while Palm releases the device piece of a fuzzy enterprise solution. In terms of coverage, the BlackBerry can run (or soon will run) over AT&T Wireless, VoiceStream GSM/GPRS, Motient DataTAC, and Cingular Mobitex networks in the U.S. and Roger's AT&T in Canada. It even supports multiple networks linked to one server. It's recently made deals with several UK and European network operators such as mm02, so users can get their e-mail overseas, so long as you keep a swap pool of GPRS devices on hand.

Voice advancements include a partnership with AT&T Wireless to offer a voice-capable BlackBerry that lets you place a phone call using a plug-in ear piece and microphone, and a deal with Motorola to develop a hybrid BlackBerry/cell phone employing Motorola's digital wireless technology iDen, to run over Nextel's network.

Toni Kistner is managing editor of Net.Worker. Contact her at tkistner@nww.com.

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