Wednesday, February 23, 2005

PalmSource to abandon HotSync for SyncML - thank heavens

PalmSource sees future on phones - Computing

Maybe one day I'll be able to do reliable category-specific selective synchronization across multiple desktop environments. Neither Palm nor Microsoft will do this, but SyncML is an open standard. There hackers have needs like mine; what they write for themselves will work for me.
The company is also moving to support the open-standard SyncML data synchronisation protocol instead of its own HotSync technology. SyncML is already supported by many mobile middleware server systems, so handsets with SyncML and Palm-compatible PIM tools could attract firms where staff already run Palm OS PDAs.
Brighthand adds more background. The last comment emphasizes the gulf between PalmOne (manufacture devices) and PalmSource (OS). I wonder how long PalmOne will use the PalmOS and whether they'll switch to Microsoft's PocketPC OS.
... Last year, PalmSource set off a storm of protest by announcing that the latest version of its operating system, Palm OS Cobalt, would not come with synchronization software for the Macintosh.

With the switch from HotSync to SyncML, it would be relatively easy for third-party developers to create Palm OS synchronization software for virtually any platform, like Max OS X, the various Linux versions, etc.

Interestingly, PalmSource's switch to an open standard for synchronization comes at a time when some companies are starting to use a proprietary one. Recently, both palmOne and Nokia have licensed the ActiveSync protocol, which allows their products to synchronize with Microsoft Exchange Server.

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