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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3Com Corporation Delivers Java-Based Tools for the Palm Computing® Platform

New Conduit Development Kit provides rich environment for creating Palm Computing platform conduits

Santa Clara, Calif., -- March 23, 1998 -- 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today announced a Java-based conduit development kit (CDK), a set of software tools that developers working in the Java environment can use to quickly and easily create conduits for the industry-leading Palm Computing® platform, the basis for the Palm III™ connected organizer. Conduits are programs that provide data synchronization between Palm Computing platform products and a PC, network, or the Internet. The Java tools will help fuel the emergence of more enterprise-oriented handheld solutions for mobile professionals, such as those requiring fast and efficient remote access and input to data resident in enterprise databases or on corporate Intranets and the Internet. These types of applications are most easily developed using the Java programming language.

The software development industry is rapidly adopting Java as a preferred language for building business software solutions. Palm Computing, Inc., a 3Com company, will demonstrate the Conduit Development Kit, Java Edition to developers at the Java One conference in San Francisco, Calif., March 24 - 26 (booth #631). The CDK is a robust collection of conduit authoring tools including source code, object code, class definitions, libraries, header files and example conduits. As an example of the types of solutions that can be created using the Java tools, the kit is also bundled with the AvantGo Web Client and AvantGo Desktop software. Together, these products allow Web developers to build and deploy HTML-based Intranet applications for Palm Computing platform handheld devices.

Ed Colligan, vice president of marketing for Palm Computing, said, "There are many types of business solutions, such as those that provide access to Intranet data and information stored in large enterprise databases, that are most easily developed in the Java environment. Our new tools are designed to open up our platform to Java developers to help drive the growth of enterprise-wide handheld computing solutions."

Over 7,000 developers are creating software applications, conduits and hardware add-ons for the Palm Computing platform, with over 1,000 titles already available. The new Java programming tools significantly expand the potential market for custom corporate solutions that work on Palm Computing platform products, including the Palm III connected organizer, the PalmPilot* professional edition organizer, the IBM WorkPad PC Companion, the Franklin Covey Electronic Day Planner, and future products from Symbol technologies and QUALCOMM.

To help ensure broad adoption of the Java tools, Palm Computing designed the CDK to operate within the industry's most widely used Java development environments including Symantec's Visual Cafe and Microsoft Visual J++. The new CDK is an important addition to Palm Computing's wide array of development tools for the Windows and Macintosh operating systems and C, C++ and BASIC programming languages. There are also several popular development kits available from third party vendors such as Code Warrior from Metrowerks, RTAccess from the Windward Group, OnTap from Aegean Associates and GCC for Palm OS. In addition, many forms development packages and content creaton software are available for the Palm Computing platform from vendors including Pendragon Software and SoftMagic.

Pricing and Availability The Conduit Development Kit Java Edition is expected to be available in mid April for an estimated street price of $169 U.S. For information on obtaining the CDK, interested developers can visit http://www.palm.com or call (800) 881-7256 in the U.S. and (801) 431-1536 elsewhere. The CDK is currently available in English only.

ABOUT 3COM 3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share information and resources at anytime from anywhere. As on of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. The company provides large enterprise, small and medium enterprises, network service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers with comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3Com.com, or the press site at http://www.3Com.com/pressbox.

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3Com, the 3Com logo and Palm Computing are registered trademarks, and Palm PalmPilot and Palm III are trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. This product is not manufactured by Pilot Corporation, or Pilot Corporation of America, manufacturers and distributors of writing instruments.