The beginning of a new era
Palm's press release heralds these announcements as part of its plan to "extend its leadership position in the enterprise handheld market." I think this is one case where the language of the press release will live up to the reality. There are already products on the market that enable Palm device users to synchronize directly with corporate data residing on servers (see the other players section below for more info on two of them). But the announcement by Palm that they are indeed focusing on developing enterprise solutions really gives a big boost to all of the companies that are developing enterprise solutions for handheld devices.

This announcement also ushers in a new era, the era of the centrally managed Palm device. The Palm HotSync Server software will enable system administrators to set standard configuration settings for Palm devices and do such tasks as install or delete applications. There is a clear advantage to using a Palm device in a corporation that is using a Palm HotSync Server. The advantage is that if your device ever malfunctions, it will be easy to get a replacement unit (what Palm calls a "Hot Swap") right away that has all of the data and applications you need. Another advantage from the corporation's point of view is reduced support costs and the ability to maintain better security over corporate data.

The downside for you as an individual user is that your Palm computer, currently the last refuge for your quirky personality, will certainly be examined more closely once it's connecting to enterprise applications and data. I'd better uninstall that Furby remote control application I have before that happens (although it's very handy for putting the annoying little thing to sleep whenever I want).

The facts, and nothing but the facts
Here are all of the facts you'll need to get your company set up with the Palm HotSync server and the Palm Ethernet Cradle.

Availability
This is definitely not something that Santa is going to leave under your tree. Officially on their Web site, Palm is saying that the Palm HotSync Server and the Palm Ethernet Cradle will be available initially only in the US in early 2000. When I attended the Palm Solutions Event in Santa Clara, CA, on October 25, a Palm representative said that the Palm Ethernet Cradle was expected to ship in January 2000. The Palm HotSync Server is expected go into beta testing in January as well, with a ship date around March 2000.

System requirements
Here is the list of requirements you'll need for the Palm HotSync Server:

• Windows NT 4.0 with service pack 3 or later;
• 133 Mhz, 128MB RAM, 60MB disk space;
• Network interface card with TCP/IP protocol.

This is what you'll need for the Palm Ethernet Cradle:

• Palm Network HotSync or synchronization server;
• DHCP server installed;
• Connection to 10 or 10/100 Mbps Ethernet device.

For the Palm-compatible device
The Palm Ethernet Cradle is initially going to be designed to work only with the Palm III series, the Palm VII and IBM WorkPad 20X and 30X devices. Support for the Palm V and WorkPad 3c will come later, since Palm is saying that it will be going after the largest installed base first. There is nothing preventing you, however, from using a product like The Bridge. See senior technical editor Claire Pieterek's article about The Bridge in the September issue of PalmPower at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue199909/bridge001.html. This handy product by Midwest PCB Designs enables you to make a Palm III cradle compatible with the Palm V.