An example of successful, cost-effective handsizing is Remedy Corp. They're using the Palm OS to mobilize and automate help desk functions for their customers. According to the 1998 Remedy Corp. Customer Analysis, their conservative estimates indicate that customers using Palm devices and Remedy software will realize a return on investment of 700 percent over a three-year period.

When can handhelds suffice instead of laptops?
While handheld computers cannot completely take the place of laptops, they can fulfill many of the tasks for which laptops are currently used.

In general, those employees that manage information while on the road are good candidates for a handheld computer instead of a laptop. For instance, if you send a VP to a trade show across the country and she needs constant access to her email for the duration of the trip, a Web enabled Palm device is perfect for the task. If you have a mobile sales force that primarily enters order and service requests throughout the day, they're also good candidates for handheld computers. Why? Because wireless Palm devices allow live database access, and all Palm units can update a corporate database upon return to the office with just a simple HotSync.

However, if you have a graphics designer that must visit a client to present a new brand design, magazine advertisement, or television commercial, he would be best equipped with a laptop. A handheld can handle low quality graphics, but they're not the best choice for high quality, high-resolution images, video, or sound.

Where in business are handhelds currently used?
A variety of industries have already utilized the benefits of handsizing. The United States Navy has outfitted both the USS Constellation and the USS Abraham Lincoln with Palm Vs. The US Army has outfitted the cafeteria at Fort Hood with Palm devices. The Los Angeles Fire Department uses Palm devices in field investigations. Various police departments across the country use handheld devices for immediate access to crime databases while on patrol. Palm devices are also used by doctors, real estate agents, lawyers, and even the United States Post Office.

If government bodies and long standing medical institutions such as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are already handsizing their organizations, chances are that it's time for you to consider it, as well.

In the next installment, we'll review handsized software options and explore the pros and cons of using what's already available in your business environment.

Claire Pieterek is a long-time Palm handheld user. On a mission to ditch her Franklin Planner, she bought her first--a Pilot 5000--in May, 1996. She currently owns a Japanese-language Sony Clie 650C, a Sony Clie 710C, and a Palm Zire 71, among others. She is most at home in Chicago and Kyoto, and is a student of life, the universe, and Japanese.