3G Treo Pro smartphone by Palm now available on Bell mobility's high-speed mobile network

Little Bill | Reporter
Date: 02/28/2009

Palm, Inc. announced that its Treo Pro smartphone is now available on Bell Mobility's high-speed mobile network (EV-DO Rev. A), marking its debut in Canada. With its streamlined design and Palm innovations layered on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Treo Pro allows businesses to simplify their IT infrastructures while lowering costs and keeping their users productive and happy. The 3G-capable Treo Pro smartphone is now available to Bell Mobility clients for a limited-time price of $99.95 on a three-year contract. 

Treo Pro offers Bell Mobility clients simplicity and productivity - including email, Wi-Fi, GPS, web and CDMA EV-DO Rev. A network capabilities - to meet the needs of businesses and end users alike. Treo Pro's thin design blends a flush, high-resolution colour touch screen, one-touch buttons and a full QWERTY keyboard. The removable battery packs up to four hours of talk time and enough strength for the business user's needs, offering a powerful yet effortless mobile experience.

"Treo Pro is a perfect fit for the busy business professional or casual user who needs on-the-go access to business tools or their personal email," said John Traynor, vice president, business products, Palm, Inc. "Treo Pro's capabilities, including Wi-Fi and GPS, ensure users can be highly responsive, available and productive with a powerful yet effortless mobile experience."

"By offering Treo Pro on the Bell Mobility network, we continue to provide Bell Mobility clients with a combination of the best smartphone technology and leading business and consumer data services," said Adel Bazerghi, Bell Mobility's senior vice president of Products. "Treo Pro meets and exceeds the needs of Bell Mobility clients who want access to their business tools."

With Treo Pro , users can open ZIP files, edit Microsoft Word and Excel documents and view PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. It is compatible with System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, which allows IT professionals to manage Windows phones the same way they manage PCs and laptops, adding value to mobile enterprise solutions.

"Being away from the office cannot be a liability for a business executive," said Alec Taylor, Windows Mobile Lead, Consumer & Online, Microsoft Canada. "Communication must be constant and seamless. With Windows Mobile 6.1, Treo Pro users can connect with their office, customers and partners to access and share documents and information just as they would sitting in front of their office PC."

The Palm Experience on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

The 3G-capable Treo Pro smartphone from Bell Mobility helps optimize business processes by effortlessly mobilizing users with enhancements to the Windows platform, including:

• Full QWERTY keyboard
• High-resolution colour LCD touch screen
• Dedicated email and calendar buttons for fast one-button access
• Ringer switch, which silences the device immediately
• One-touch Wi-Fi button for an easy, fast Wi-Fi connection experience (802.11b/g)
• Screen saver, which lets users know at a glance - without turning on the device - what time it is and whether they have missed a call or have a new SMS message
• New voicemail indicator, which flashes to let users know that a voicemail is waiting

Lower Costs, Increased Productivity

With Treo Pro from Bell Mobility, businesses can take advantage of a tightly integrated Palm and Windows solution for their mobile workforces, including:

• Microsoft Direct Push Technology - Connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or 2007 gives users up-to-date email, contacts and calendars.
• Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 - With the deployment of Mobile Device Manager, Treo Pro can deliver increased security, easier smartphone management and access to information on the corporate network. IT professionals can confidently manage large Treo Pro deployments.
• Applications for Windows phones - Businesses can extend mobility beyond email to optimize business processes.
• Integrated GPS - Users can access maps, turn-by-turn directions and point-of-interest (POI) searches.
• Familiar Windows experience - Users can browse the web with built-in Internet Explorer Mobile; open, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files; review PowerPoint presentations and PDF files; and open ZIP files remotely.

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers with solutions to all their communications needs, including telephone services, wireless communications, high-speed Internet, digital television and voice over IP. Bell also offers integrated information and communications technology (ICT) services to businesses and governments, and is the Virtual Chief Information Officer (VCIO) to small and medium businesses (SMBs). Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc.