DG: Do you have a timeframe? The Bay area has mobile computing infrastructure really nicely and solidly implemented. But, for example, the places where you and I live don't.

JP: Is there an issue of coverage? Clearly, the answer would be that we're increasing our coverage in the cellular world, but there are a number of data networks that IBM works with such as Motient that provide a fairly extensive coverage for a number of devices including the Palm platform.

DG: Can you give the 30-second overview to our readers of WebSphere and Everyplace and how they relate to Palm solutions?

JP: To deploy these solutions we work with our customers on two areas. We work on the application itself, and we work on how they can leverage the Web to deliver applications to any number of devices. The WebSphere Applications Server is a platform for deploying applications. WebSphere Everyplace Suite is a connection server that sits in front of these application servers and provides some of the necessary plumbing work to enable a whole new class of devices. It focuses on network protocols, synchronization, and managing performance and scalability.

DG: That should be pretty exciting for our Enterprise Edition readers.

JP: The enterprise customer, from an implementation point of view, needs to worry about acquiring the right devices, deploying the application so Palm devices are considered, and deploying the application as a classic IBM e-business solution. Putting the pieces together and making those interconnections is actually done with WebSphere Everyplace Suite. It's plumbing. It's truly plumbing.

DG: Let's talk about really cool applications. Can you inspire us in terms of what the future holds for these types of applications?

JP: You will clearly see devices such as Palm computing platforms enabled with Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology lets people who use cell phones, pagers, handheld devices, and laptops link their devices wirelessly into a localized "personal area network" and into the Internet. Once that is done, the device can do work for you and link up with other devices across the network as you move through your daily life. So I can envision you having a Palm OS device hanging off your belt, you have established shopping preferences, for example, and you've chosen to make this available. You're walking in the shopping mall and you walk past a kiosk. The Palm device will make a connection with the kiosk, it'll identify your shopping information, and you'll probably have the device ring and say, "Congratulations, you've just been sent a 20% off sale flyer from a store that you're interested in buying things from."

DG: So, in this case, there are new marketing opportunities?

JP: Marketing in this pervasive world is really just beginning to take off. Everything we've learned in the Internet, from banner ads and search engines to buying search keywords and trying to identify a market, is going to change. We now have access to individuals where there'll be a higher capability for them to personalize the information they want to get access to. Responding to where they are and what they choose to get access to will really increase, allowing for very pinpoint marketing programs.