The Palm Bluetooth Card comes equipped with special software that's designed to enable you to communicate, collaborate, and connect.

Communicate
As already mentioned, you can connect your Bluetooth enabled Palm handheld to a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. From there, you can use the Palm Address Book to automatically dial with a quick tap on a phone number. In addition to the tap dialing function, Palm will offer the Palm dialer application for advanced phone information management capabilities on a Palm handheld. With the Palm dialer application, you can dial any number from a handheld with the touch keypad, set up speed-dial preferences, and review call history. The dialer application is free and will be available in international English. According to Palm, it should be available for download from the Palm Web site by the time you read this article.

The built-in SMS (Short Messaging Service) application allows you to send and receive messages over your mobile phone. Web clipping software and the Palm WAP Browser are also included. The Palm Bluetooth Card supports the Palm MultiMail email client. Also, if a corporate or campus environment has Bluetooth LAN access points up and running, you can use your Palm handheld to gain access, via the Palm Bluetooth Card, to corporate intranet resources and the Internet, including email, anytime you're on campus and away from your desk.

Collaborate
You can collaborate by exchanging information between two or more Bluetooth enabled handhelds. There's a BlueBoard application that allows scribbled notes to be shared and a BlueChat application that allows for private messaging and chats.

Connect
You can connect with other Bluetooth enabled office devices to send and receive data. From a Bluetooth enabled Windows 2000 system, you can perform a wireless HotSync operation. Included printer software allows users to print Word and Excel documents from a Palm handheld to the recently released HP DeskJet 995c printer over Bluetooth.

The Sony Ericsson T68 phone
Palm and Sony Ericsson believe their Bluetooth solution will appeal to mobile professionals who appreciate and prefer small, sleek wireless handsets. While the Palm Bluetooth Card is available now, the other piece of the equation, the Sony Ericsson T68 mobile phone, is scheduled to be available online within the next several weeks at http://www.sonyericsson.com and through U.S. carriers that support GSM. As wireless carriers in the United States make Bluetooth enabled phones available on their networks, Palm and Sony Ericsson expect to enable carriers to deliver bundled solutions around the Sony Ericsson T68 phone and Bluetooth enabled Palm handhelds. The paired devices support current and next-generation networks, such as GPRS.

Cingular Wireless has worked closely in the past with Palm on enabling its wireless data devices on Cingular's nationwide Mobitex network, and with Sony Ericsson as a key handset partner. Cingular expects to offer the Sony Ericsson T68 and the Palm Bluetooth Card as a way to enable customers to access Cingular's suite of Xpress Mail products, the Cingular My Wireless Window portal, and other enterprise-based data applications.