CTIA WIRELESS, NEW ORLEANS, March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PalmSource, Inc., provider of the world's most popular operating system for handhelds and smartphones and the Palm OS subsidiary of Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), has joined CTIA's Wireless Internet Caucus (WIC) and Leadership Council. The company has also formed new relationships that further align Palm OS(R) with the needs of leading wireless operators and their customers. PalmSource has signed a memorandum of understanding with QUALCOMM to allow over-the-air delivery of Palm OS applications to wireless Palm Powered(TM) devices using QUALCOMM's BREW(TM) Distribution System (BDS) over-the-air delivery platform. Furthermore, PalmSource and Spontaneous Technology will collaborate to enable secure wireless HotSync(R) of data on Palm Powered devices via the Spontaneous Virtual Private Network (sVPN) solution.

PalmSource has consistently been a leader in creating easy-to-use, efficient operating system software that drives the development of smartphones and other mobile devices. Three of the top six smartphone vendors in the world -- Handspring, Kyocera and Samsung -- build devices powered by Palm OS. Palm OS commands an estimated 89 percent of the U.S. market for smartphones and 28.5 percent share of the worldwide market (IDC, converged handheld devices, Q3 2002). More than 25 million Palm Powered devices have been sold worldwide and over 17,000 applications have been created for Palm OS -- far more than for any other wireless platform.

As a member of CTIA's Wireless Internet Caucus and Leadership Council, PalmSource will work with other industry leaders to accelerate wireless growth in the United States. WIC meets several times a year to find common solutions to the challenges facing the wireless industry and its customers. Albert

Chu, vice president of business development, will represent PalmSource in the WIC Leadership Council, which serves as the organization's governing body.

PalmSource and QUALCOMM signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) under which the companies will work together to enable over-the-air downloads of Palm OS applications to Palm Powered devices using the BREW Distribution System. PalmSource president and CEO, David Nagel, will participate in a QUALCOMM press conference at CTIA Tuesday, March 18 at 2 PM in Room 253.

PalmSource and Spontaneous will work together to develop an sVPN for Palm OS, enabling wireless operators to provide enterprise customers with a secure wireless connection to a desktop computer to access applications from a wireless Palm Powered handheld. For those enterprises deploying the Spontaneous solution on Palm Powered devices, sVPN will be initially integrated within the easy-to-use HotSync function that is built into Palm OS. The solution removes traditional barriers to entry that wireless operators face in working with an enterprise client's existing applications.

PalmSource is collaborating with Samsung Telecommunications America's Mobile Intelligent Terminals (MITs), to provide corporations with seamless and secure access to mission-critical business applications, enterprise data, corporate e-mail, Internet and Intranet content on Palm Powered Samsung SGH-i330 and SGH-i500 smartphones. The ability to view and update critical information in real-time will increase employee productivity and maximize return on IT investment. PalmSource will demonstrate secure access to corporate networks, e-mails, Internet and Intranet content on Palm Powered MIT devices in the Samsung booth, Hall S-4265, at CTIA.

PalmSource licensee Samsung Electronics introduced the MITs SGH-i500, the world's first GSM-based next-generation smartphone running on Palm OS 5. By incorporating PalmSource's newest operating system, the Samsung GSM smartphone delivers a superior user interface with increased security, wireless networking and multimedia capabilities such as a 330,000-pixel CMOS digital camera and a media pack for video, audio and imaging.

PalmSource has introduced the "Beam-Me-App" program that makes it easy and convenient for customers of Palm Powered mobile devices to buy Palm OS applications. Operators can beam customers their choice of applications via beaming Jacks located in their retail stores. Giving customers easy access to over 17,000 applications will give operators a new source of revenue in software sales and allow customers to find solutions that meet their individual needs.

Other PalmSource Licensees and Partners exhibiting at CTIA include:

-- Intel -- booths 4959 and 3866
-- Kyocera -- booth 5157
-- Motorola Semiconductor -- booth 1555
-- Palm Solutions Group -- booth 5369

About PalmSource

PalmSource is the company behind Palm OS, the world's most popular operating system for handhelds and smartphones. Licensed by industry leaders -- including Acer, AlphaSmart, Fossil, Garmin, GSL, Handera, Handspring, HuneTec, Kyocera, Legend, Palm, Samsung, Sony, Symbol, and Palm OS Ready Partners including ATI, Intel, MediaQ, Motorola, Texas Instruments -- Palm OS has been shipped on more than 25 million handhelds and smartphones, and given rise to a huge community of users, enterprises, developers and manufacturers, who together make up the Palm Economy. PalmSource's new headquarters are located at 1240 Crossman Ave. in Sunnyvale, Calif. PalmSource is a subsidiary of Palm, Inc. More information about PalmSource, Inc., is available at www.palmsource.com .

NOTE: Palm OS and HotSync are registered trademarks and Palm Powered is a trademark of PalmSource, Inc., a subsidiary of Palm, Inc. Other brands may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE PalmSource, Inc.