Neowin.net

PalmOne Inc., faced with slumping sales of what was once a must-have consumer gadget, is taking the story of handheld computers directly to the public with its own retail stores. Following in the footsteps of electronics makers Apple Computer Inc., Gateway and Sony Corp., PalmOne on Friday unveiled its flagship store in Philadelphia's International Airport. It brings to 11 locations the Milpitas, California-based company has quietly opened since 2002.

The stores, in coastal states such as New Jersey and California and ranging from walk-through kiosks to large shopping mall and airport locations, will help PalmOne introduce low-end Zire and business-driven Tungsten handhelds and Treo mobile phones to consumers who do not normally shop in stores like Best Buy or Circuit City. "Our objective was to build up our own retail outlets, where we could educate and get brand presence in high traffic areas," said PalmOne executive Kanwal Sharma in an interview.

News source: Reuters

"Getting wider buy-in for the project wasn't just about ROI, it was about fitting in with the values we seek to embody as an HR consultancy. Having said that we've seen a 10% increase in billable hours with our consultants, as they have been able to utilise that dead time that traditionally existed when travelling."


Nigel said that the technology had personally benefited him recently. He explained: "I flew from London to Manchester and spent an hour catching up on all of my correspondence. This meant that when I arrived at the meeting I was up to speed with all the developments. We're now developing profiling tools that will see staff issued with Windows Mobile-based devices or laptops depending on how they work."