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SUNNYVALE, Calif. / OVERLAND PARK, Kan. July 14, 2008 -- Palm, Inc. and Sprint today introduced the
Palm® Treo™ 800w, Sprint's newest smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Designed for business users who depend on their smartphones for high-speed productivity on the go, the Palm Treo 800w operates on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network(1) and comes out of the box with support for EV-DO Rev. A data speeds, WiFi for data and GPS capabilities.(2)
The
Treo 800w is Palm's most business-friendly phone yet. IT departments
can simplify infrastructure and lower costs with a direct connection to
Microsoft Exchange Server, giving users up-to-date email, contacts,
calendars and access to other productivity applications. Palm designed
the Treo 800w for easy-to-use mobility with a full QWERTY keyboard,
five-way navigation and one-touch buttons to the most-used
applications, making it a smartphone people want to use.
EV-DO Rev. A, WiFi for Data and GPS
As Sprint's
first smartphone to ship immediately with EV-DO Rev. A network support,
the Treo 800w offers customers the ability to quickly browse the web
and send and receive emails - even those with large attachments - at
broadband speeds. The vast majority of Sprint's Mobile Broadband
Network has been upgraded to EV-DO Rev. A technology, providing Treo
800w users blazing-fast speeds on the nation's largest mobile broadband
network (based on covered square miles). The Sprint Mobile Broadband
Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 246 million
people, 16,022 cities and 1,506 airports and brings customers instant
gratification so they can work fast and on the go. With EV-DO Rev. A,
peak network download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload
data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600
kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350-500 kbps.
Palm's
WiFi hardware and software innovations make it easy to get online fast
and manage network connections and power usage. The one-touch WiFi
button provides a clean, uncluttered WiFi experience that gets Treo
800w users rapidly connected at home, in the office or in WiFi
hotspots.(2) It includes 802.11b/g WiFi and built-in Internet Explorer
Mobile, which means faster, more secure access to web-based data.
With
integrated GPS and Palm software enhancements, the Treo 800w smartphone
offers maps, point-to-point directions and point-of-interest (POI)
searches for locations such as restaurants or stores.(3) POI search is
available directly from the Today Screen and is integrated with
contacts, giving customers one-touch access to the places they want to
go. Treo 800w also supports Sprint Navigation for turn-by-turn
directions as well as other popular third-party location-based services
applications.
Robust Business Productivity Features
Companies
looking for more control, centralization and security will find the
Treo 800w an attractive choice. It connects directly with Exchange
Server 2003 SP2 or 2007 and works within a company's existing Microsoft
infrastructure, eliminating costly middleware or the maintenance of
additional servers. The Treo 800w extends business capabilities by
providing a familiar Microsoft Windows experience while on the go to
keep employees productive. With thousands of applications available for
Windows Mobile, businesses can extend mobility beyond email to optimize
business processes whether in sales or out in field.
The Treo
800w comes fully equipped with easy-to-use professional email.
Microsoft Direct Push Technology is available out of the box and gives
users connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server fast, automatic wireless
updates from their email, calendar, contacts and tasks.(4) Users can
download email attachments to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel
files, view PowerPoint and PDF files, and open ZIP files.
The
Treo 800w is compatible with Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device
Manager 2008, which delivers increased security and easier smartphone
management as well as access to information on the corporate network
via mobile VPN. IT professionals can confidently manage large Treo 800w
deployments the same way they would expect to manage PCs with a
low-cost, reliable solution that fits seamlessly with their existing IT
infrastructures.
The Palm Experience on Windows Mobile 6.1
"Palm
is adding a unique stamp to the Windows Mobile experience with the Treo
800w," said Stephane Maes, vice president, product marketing, Palm,
Inc. "It's an easy-to-use feature-packed smartphone that will keep
users happy, empowered and productive."
In addition to Palm's WiFi and GPS enhancements, Palm innovations on top of Windows Mobile include:
Today Screen enhancements -- call, text, email, perform a web search
and map a contact's address, all directly from the Today Screen;(5)
Dial from the Today Screen -- enter the contact name, select the number
and dial. Add text or picture speed dials for one-touch calls to family
and friends, or use the physical or touch screen number keys to dial
the number directly;
Voicemail controls -- VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward, for easy navigation;
Ignore with text -- ignore a call quickly by sending a text message, such as
"In a meeting" or "Can't talk right now";
Superior phone and call management -- dedicated mute, speakerphone,
conference calling icons, or dial any number in an email or webpage,
all with just one touch; and
Palm ease-of-use features --
hard buttons for email and calendar, a five-way navigation button and
on/off ringer switch.
Exclusive Sprint Content and Services
"Sprint
recognizes that businesses must stay productive and competitive with
quick, always-accessible information and assistance for their own
customers," said Michael Hahn, vice president of device operations for
Sprint. "With instant access to email, messaging services and the web
on the nation's largest Mobile Broadband Network, Sprint provides its
customers the mobile tools they need to increase productivity and
improve competitiveness now."
In addition to the valuable
business-friendly features delivered through Palm and Windows Mobile
6.1, new business applications are being created through Sprint's newly
launched Professional Developer Program and with tools such as the
Titan platform for Windows Mobile 6.1 devices. A growing community of
application developers who may previously have focused on desktop
services are now finding it easier to generate services that can
perform on both the desktop and mobile devices.
Treo 800w customers can leverage the speed of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network to access Sprint content, including:
-- Sprint TV® allowing users to watch live TV or video-on-demand with full-motion video or catch the latest news, sports, weather, entertainment and movie trailers on the go.(5) Choose from more than 50 live television channels and watch programs such as CNN mobile, FOX sports and E! Entertainment; access NFL Network and special programming via Sprint Exclusive Entertainment.
-- Sprint Navigation delivers turn-by-turn voice-guided and on-screen driving directions, 3-D moving maps similar to an in-car navigation system or personal navigation device, as well as local search, intelligent traffic alerts and one-click rerouting.
-- Pocket Express to retrieve customized, up-to-date web content such as sports, weather, news, money and movie information with the push of a button.
-- Sprint IM extends instant messaging to the Treo 800w with access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL's AIM® service and MSN Messenger.(5)
Pricing and Availability
The Treo 800w is available today for consumers and businesses at Sprint Stores, online at
www.sprint.com or www.palm.com,
and through Sprint or Palm's B2B sales organizations. It will be
available for $249.99 after discounts and rebates with a two-year
contract.
To receive the best value and experience the full
capabilities of the device, customers must subscribe to a pricing plan
offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for
individuals ranging from $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes and
unlimited data or the Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families
starting at $129.99 per month for 1,500 voice minutes (shared between
two lines) and unlimited data. Sprint also offers its signature Simply
Everything plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data
services for just $99.99 per month. Customers may also choose one of
Sprint's Individual Talk Plans and add on the $30 per month Pro Pack to
take advantage of data capabilities.
(1) Within EvDO Rev A data coverage area only. Actual data speeds
vary based on network capacity and application design. Requires data
services at additional cost. Coverage not available everywhere. See
sprint.com/coverage for details.
(2) Within range of Wi-Fi hotspot using 802.11b/g wireless connection. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage.
(3) GPS not available in all areas at all times. Requires an account and data services at additional cost.
(4) Microsoft Direct
Push Technology requires Microsoft Exchange Server
2003 with SP2 or Exchange Server 2007.
(5) Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost. Additional fees may apply.
Information Source: Palm
Images courtesy of Palm/Newsmarket website
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