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Palm WAP browser hits the Net

Tags:
Wireless,
Palm,
Wap,
PDA

Justin Pearse ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 06 Jan 2000 11:53 GMT

A Swedish company has released a freely available demo version of a WAP browser for the Palm OS.

AU-System has adapted the Ericsson WAP browser to run on Palm IIIx and Palm V series organisers. The software is available for public download at the company's Web site.

The Ericsson browser, developed in conjunction with AU-System, on which the Palm adaptation is based, is used in all Ericsson's WAP devices and complies with the WAP 1.1 specification. AU-System holds exclusive rights to distribute and adapt the browser to mobile terminal manufacturers, content providers and organisations. It will not be made directly available to the end user.

The release of the demo version of the Palm WAP browser was to "encourage the development of content and services tailored for WAP" according to Staffan Pehrson, director of Ericsson WAP programme.

Declan Lonergan, director of wireless services at Strategy Analytics, believes that the large installed base of the Palm organisers could mean that WAP browsers adapted for the Palm "should have a role to play" in driving the uptake of WAP services. However he believes that in the long run it will be WAP enabled mobile phones that will enable mass market penetration of WAP services.

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