Fixed Mobile Convergence

As the popularity of Apple’s iPhone grows and anticipation builds over the new device from T-Mobile that’s based on an open source mobile platform from Google (News - Alert), rumors are swirling about another major technology company’s potential bid to enter the mobile phone market.

 

Palo Alto (News - Alert), California-based Hewlett-Packard Company, or “HP,” already offers a $500 smartphone – the iPAQ 910 Business Messenger, which includes 7.2 Mbps downloads, quad-band GSM, e-mail and IM and built-in Google maps with multimode GPS.

 

Yet, according to industry insiders’ comments reported by Judy Mottl of PocketPCCIty.com – a Web site operated by WindowsMobileToday, part of the PDAStreet.com family – HP may be eyeing a phone with a touchscreen and media player.

 

“It would not surprise me if HP offered an ‘iPhone/Android’ (News - Alert) wannabe,” Jack Gold, analyst, J.Gold Associates, reportedly told InternetNews.com.

 

HP Public Relations Manager Mike Hockey told TMCnet that the company couldn’t comment on “rumors, speculation or unannounced products.”

 

According to Gold, Mottl says, it may be difficult for a business-focused vendor such as HP to make a smooth transition to serving recreational users and consumers.

 

“I don’t see them being terribly successful in the (United States) with a consumer phone if they decided to go that route,” Gold reportedly said. “There is just too much competition both for the consumer and for the carrier, which is the primary channel for phone distribution here.”

 

According to Mottl’s article, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion also is also poised to compete with the iPhone (News - Alert) with a touchscreen model, the BlackBerry Storm 9530.

 

As TMCnet Contributing Editor Rajani Baburajan reported, RIM made news earlier today when it announced the availability of new developer tools for creating and testing innovative applications for BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones.

 

The developer tools include new versions of the BlackBerry Java Development Environment, according to Baburajan. They are available as free downloads and will be showcased at the BlackBerry developer conference, she reported. The developer tools enable streamlined development of mobile applications and desktop simulators that accelerate mobile application testing.

 

“The latest versions of the BlackBerry Java Development Environment present developers with opportunities to create innovative, mobile-savvy applications that take advantage of the robust feature sets of the smartphones,” said Alan Brenner, senior vice president of BlackBerry platforms at RIM. “Each new BlackBerry smartphone presents an opportunity for mobile developers to create new applications or extend their innovations with the latest advances in mobile technology and application development.”