Just less than a year after bursting onto the wireless Internet scene with a wireless solution for the Palm V, OmniSky Corp. this week is introducing a similar solution for the Handspring VisorPhone.
The company also is unveiling version 2.0 of its service, which is to ship this month to Palm devices and extend to the Visor when that product begins shipping next month.
Finally, OmniSky is announcing an initiative with Microsoft Corp. that will, among other things, develop an OmniSky solution for PocketPC devices, the first of which is expected for the Hewlett-Packard Jordana 540.
“Our aim, as we stated when we started our business, has been to provide the OmniSky wireless service to a variety of popular handheld devices,” said Patrick McVeigh, OmniSky chairman and chief executive officer earlier this summer at PC Expo, where the solution was first previewed. “We believe that expanding our service to the Handspring Visor is a continuation of our corporate goals.”
The Visor solution features a CDPD modem from Novatel Wireless Inc., which also makes the modem for the Palm solution. The Visor modem, called the Novatel Minstrel S, is designed specifically for the Visor’s Springboard module. Since it attaches to the expansion module, the Visor’s serial port will remain free when attached to the modem, so users may connect a keyboard attachment, HotSync with a computer or use for other purposes.
With 2 MB of flash memory, it is the first plug-and-play product from Novatel, as the OmniSky software comes pre-loaded.
Like the Palm solution, the OmniSky solution for the Visor will feature CDPD service from AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Pricing for the service was not released at RCR Wireless News press time.
When it begins shipping next month, the solution will launch with OmniSky 2.0, which OmniSky also is planning to announce this week.
Improvements in version 2.0 include advancements to the mail client, more ability to customize content and additional One-Tap features, which allow users to save Web-based text to the device’s internal memory.
Improved mail capabilities include better compression with the server, which allows downloading to be done 40 percent faster. Also, users may store e-mail from various accounts into six different folders, one for each account. Previously, users accessing several different e-mail servers had all their e-mail displayed in one folder. Separate folders allow users to have one folder for work e-mail, one for personal, etc.
Customized Web options include the MyOmniSky ability, which lets users provision a personalized home screen, as well as additional content channels.
Finally, the One-Tap feature now allows users not only to save Web-based text, but adds the ability to save the information directly to the device’s personal information management applications, such as address book, calendar and other such applications.
