PalmSource last week introduced a new version of its Palm OS platform that integrates telephony features for the first time, supporting the vendor's new focus on smartphones and other wireless devices. The company also announced new developer tools and an updated browser for Palm-based devices.

Palm OS Cobalt 6.1, unveiled at the PalmSource European Developer Conference in Munich, includes built-in support for GSM telephony, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), plus the Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless standards. A new user interface gives a more modern look and feel to applications, the firm said.

"Growth in handhelds is shifting towards wireless. Traditional PDAs are still growing slightly, but that's not our focus for the future," said Chris Dunphy, PalmSource's director of competitive analysis.

Dunphy added that previous releases left many functions to be added by hardware makers, but Palm OS will now provide a top-to-bottom wireless solution. The firm is also seeking a closer alignment with wireless operators worldwide.

The first devices to feature Palm OS Cobalt 6.1 are expected in the first quarter of 2005, said PalmSource. The new platform is more robust and feature-rich, and is optimised for one-handed operation as this is the way handsets tend to be used.

Applications get a new look and feel under Cobalt 6.1, with greater use of colour and a pop-up Graffiti window that allows written input anywhere on screen. There is also support for a wider range of screen resolutions.

Wireless support in Cobalt 6.1 extends to Bluetooth headset and hands-free profiles, and 802.11b Wi-Fi capabilities will make it easier to maintain multiple connections.

Handset makers will be able to include a new browser and a BlackBerry email client in future Palm-based devices. The PalmSource Web Browser 3.0 is a native Cobalt application that supports zooming, so full HTML web pages can be viewed, according to Ray Combs, product manager at PalmSource. The BlackBerry client will enable a wider choice of mobile email clients for firms already using BlackBerry Enterprise Server, but it needs integrating by handset makers. "It's not just an application you can download and install," Combs said.

A separate tool, the PalmSource Installer, now eases over-the-air deployment of applications. The technology uses a software agent to inspect the handset and the version of Palm OS running and so only downloads those files that are necessary.

Also announced last week is a new programming environment, Palm OS Developer Suite (Pods) 1.0, which will support both the Cobalt and Garnet versions of Palm OS. Pods is based on the Eclipse open-source development environment and can be freely downloaded from the Developer Zone on the PalmSource web site.