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Press Release
Palm Handhelds Go Arabic
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IAI's APOS Available for Shipment With Palm Handhelds in the Middle East
And North Africa
FALLS CHURCH, Va., and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ --
Information Appliances International, Inc. (IAI) and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM)
today announced that IAI's market-leading APOS (Arabic for the Palm OS) will
be available for bundling with Palm(TM) handheld computers shipped to the
Middle East and North Africa.
The agreement should strengthen Palm's worldwide presence by making an
Arabic language overlay product available for supply to customers through
Palm's distributors. At the point of purchase, users will simply be able to
install the Arabic software, which will enable them to switch between English
and Arabic, allowing them to maximize and personalize their Palm experience.
In addition, the agreement should help encourage developers and customers
throughout the region to develop local Arabic applications and web content.
"Palm is a global leader in handheld computers, and this relationship
should assist IAI with the introduction of APOS software into the enterprise
market and several vertical markets," said Ayad Sleiman, IAI president and
chief executive officer. "This agreement marks a major step forward in our
strategy of forging best-of-breed relationships with key industry leaders to
address the largest handheld-solution opportunities across an expanding
market."
"When Palm entered the Middle East and North African market, demand for
Arabic language support was high. Palm recognizes the potential of the APOS
platform for addressing this demand," said Stuart Maughan, manager for Middle
East and Africa, Palm Europe. "Palm continually seeks to provide its customers
with simple and easy-to-use applications that provide the very best
experience, and offering this language choice supports that goal. In addition,
as enterprises deploy Palm products to mobile workers in the region, Arabic
developers and organizations will be able to easily create solutions specific
to the needs of their customers."
The APOS language software, which already is widely used by Palm handheld
users in the Middle East, will be available for shipment with Palm handhelds
at no extra charge. Palm expects the first products with the APOS bundle can
ship early this year.
About APOS
The APOS platform is open software architecture for Arabic handheld
computing, which provides a basis for third-party developers to create and
deliver successful mobile computing solutions in Arabic. Today, IAI and a
number of its developers are creating software solutions for the APOS platform
using an Arabic Developer Kit supported by I.A.I, the APOS SDK. IAI plans to
open an office in the Middle East early 2001 to cater to enterprise customers
with bilingual solutions.
About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet
solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers (source: IDC, December
1999). Based on the Palm OS(R) platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow
people to carry and access their most critical information with them wherever
they go. Palm 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 CreSenda Wireless; ePocrates, Inc.; Franklin
Covey; Handspring; IBM; Sony; Symbol Technologies; and TRG. Platform licensees
also include Kyocera, Samsung, and Nokia. The Palm Economy is a growing global
community of industry-leading licensees, world-class OEM customers, and more
than 130,000 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 http://www.palm.com.
About Information Appliances International, Inc.
IAI specialises in the delivery of information to Palm handhelds with
their primary focus being the development of enterprise applications for
information appliances that range from handheld devices to cell phones and
other m-commerce applications. For further information, visit IAI's World Wide
Web site at http://www.ia-intl.com or http://www.arabicpalm.com.
NOTE: Palm OS is a registered trademark and Palm is a trademark of Palm,
Inc. or its subsidiaries.
APOS is a trademark of Information Appliances International, Inc.
SOURCE Palm, Inc.
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