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Palm Launches New Programs to Support Handheld Industry's Largest Developer Community



Introduces New Online Training Program, Built-in Collaboration with DigitalThink

SYDNEY, October 24, 2001 –– In a move to provide further support for its more than 175,000 registered Palm OS(R) developers, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced several new worldwide developer programs. The programs include a new, two-level Palm OS Developer Program, a certification exam to recognise the most elite Palm OS developers, and a new Palm-authorised Online Training Program.

Palm OS developers already have created more than 12,000 commercially available programs that provide Palm Powered(TM) device users with a wide variety of business, connectivity, communication, education, travel, personal information management, entertainment, health, lifestyle, hobby and gaming software.

"The Palm OS developer community continues to grow at an unprecedented rate," said Gabriel Acosta-Lopez, senior director of Platform Developer Services at Palm, Inc. "We're working to provide our developers with programs that will support them in ushering in a new era of applications focused on business productivity, communications, education and multimedia -- all of which contribute to the power, flexibility and customisability that is the hallmark of a Palm Powered device."

Palm OS Developer Program

The new Palm OS Developer Program offers "Advantage" level membership to Palm OS developers. Benefits include direct technical support from Palm; a quarterly resource CD containing the latest development tools and technologies; and marketing opportunities, including promotion via the PalmOS.com website and the opportunity to apply for the Powered Up Awards, which recognise and rewards the top innovators in the Palm OS developer community.

Developers also have the option to join at the "Basic" level, entitling them to core services, including software development kits, product images, limited access to source code, documentation, and access to pre-release tools and information. Developers may visit www.palmos.com/dev/programs/pdp/ for more information on program membership.

Palm Powered Certified Developer Program

The Palm Powered Certified Developer Program provides the official means for Palm OS developers to distinguish their skills and abilities from other professional developers. Candidates for the program will be required to pass a challenging written exam covering the spectrum of application development. Developers who pass the rigorous exam are awarded the distinction of certification, which recognises their ability to develop world-class Palm OS applications.

"Developers who pass this exam will comprise an elite group of exceptional talent," Acosta-Lopez said. "We are pleased to recognise the achievements of these developers and set the standard for future generations of Palm OS innovators."

For more information on this program, developers may visit http://www.palmos.com/dev/certification

Online Training Program

Together with DigitalThink, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTHK), a leading provider of e-learning business solutions, Palm also today announced the availability of the first Palm-authorised online training courses for Palm OS developers and the Palm Economy. The courses are written by experts at Palm and co-developed with DigitalThink to teach customers, partners and application developers at all levels how to create and integrate innovative and effective solutions for the Palm OS platform. The courses are self-paced, and include online lab work and practice exercises. Course content will be updated regularly to reflect new technologies and developments, keeping the material fresh and relevant.

"Palm's new Online Training Program meets the demands of the growing developer community for the world's leading handheld platform," said Mike Lodato, vice president of market development at DigitalThink. "The online instruction DigitalThink has created with Palm will ensure that developers worldwide have instant access to high-quality training, allowing them to build cutting-edge applications for the Palm OS platform better and faster."

"In Australia, we are particularly excited to offer local Palm developers greater access to training and support," said Gavin Maxwell, platform developer alliance manager, for Palm Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. " The Australian developer community has already produced some of the most innovative and widely used hardware and software solutions including the Dualwave wireless modem from Wavenet, the Grabba barcode readers from Gripon and the mPartner real-estate solution from Yambay. The online support program will further encourage local developers to work more closely with Palm to provide third party solutions."

Courses announced today include "Introduction to Palm OS Application Development," which is designed to help application developers learn about the fundamental requirements, tools and services available for creating effective Palm OS solutions. Also announced today is a special enterprise-focused course titled "IT Essentials for Palm Powered Handhelds" that was written by Palm engineers and designed specifically for CIOs and IT managers who want to develop custom in-house applications for their corporations. More information about this program can be found at www.palmos.com/dev/training/online

The Palm OS platform led the worldwide handheld operating systems market with a 72 percent share at the end of 2000, according to IDC(1), and more than 17.5 million Palm Powered devices sold. The Palm OS continues to lead the mobile industry with almost 10 times more software programs available than for any other handheld platform.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers, according to IDC (December 2000). Based on the Palm OS® platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow people to carry and access their most critical information with them wherever they go. Palm(TM) handhelds address the needs of individuals, enterprises and educational institutions through thousands of application solutions.

The Palm OS platform is also the foundation for products from Palm's licensees and strategic partners, such as Franklin Covey, HandEra (formerly TRG), Handspring, IBM, Kyocera, Sony, and Symbol Technologies. Platform licensees also include Acer, Garmin, Nokia and Samsung. The Palm Economy is a growing global community of industry-leading licensees, world-class OEM customers, and more than 160,000 innovative developers and solution providers that have registered to develop solutions based on the Palm OS platform. Palm went public on March 2, 2000. Its stock is traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol PALM. More information is available at www.palm.com

Palm OS is a registered trademark, and Palm is a trademark of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries.





Palm, Palm OS, and Treo are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned or licensed to Palm, Inc. Microsoft and Windows Mobile are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.