Palm: Palm OS is Not Going Anywhere

Palm CEO Ed Colligan has reiterated his company's support for the Palm OS, responding to the recent barrage of Internet posts suggesting the company may be abandoning its namesake operating system.

In a letter sent to developers Tuesday, Colligan said that the PDA market is "not a zero-sum game" and the company will be producing handsets based on both Windows and Palm OS platforms for the foreseeable future.

Calling it "the worst-kept secret," Palm alongside partners Verizon and Microsoft introduced the first Windows-based Treo in September. Palm shocked the industry, however, by revealing the company had actually been working with the Redmond giant for several years.

Rumors of Palm OS' demise became even louder following Japan-based Access' purchase of the rights to the operating system. The acquisition was followed in late October by an article from Computer Business Review that suggested Access saw Palm OS "end-of-life" as imminent.

Access officials, who said that their comments were misconstrued, later clarified those statements. Instead, they claimed only one version of the operating system, known as "Garnet," was nearing the end of its usable life, rather than the entire platform.

Colligan added that Palm plans to produce devices running Palm OS through at least 2010, thanks to a new licensing agreement signed in May. "I'd like to ask you to look at our Windows Mobile news as a way to expand our market opportunity," he pleaded.

"We have every intention of continuing to support our Palm OS developers and to encourage the expansion of the already rich array of consumer and enterprise applications and peripherals for Palm OS."

Palm is also pleased with the Access purchase of the operating system, Colligan continued, because Access has the resources to continue developing Palm OS.

Overall, Colligan explained that the addition of Windows based devices to the Palm lineup expands the company's reach and allows it to serve more customers, as well as giving new opportunities to developers. "I hope you will agree," he said.

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