Garmin's Mobile XT Software Allows for Plug 'N Play Maps on Palm Smartphones

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Press Release Source: Palm, Inc.


Palm's New GPS Navigator Pairs Palm Smartphones with Garmin Software Providing Users with Award-Winning Navigation in the Car and on Foot
Tuesday October 23, 12:00 pm ET
Garmin's Mobile XT Software Allows for Plug 'N Play Maps on Palm Smartphones


SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For Palm® Treo™ and Centro™ smartphone users and GPS enthusiasts in the United States and Canada, Palm, Inc. (NasdaqALM - News) and Garmin® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq:GRMN - News), today announced a Palm GPS Navigator featuring Garmin Mobile™ XT software for the first time. Drivers using the new GPS Navigator with their Palm smartphones can rely on turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions to easily find their destinations as well as millions of points of interest, updated traffic, fuel prices, hotel prices and weather forecasts.(1) Expected late November, the Palm GPS Navigator featuring Garmin software will be $249 USD.


The Palm GPS Navigator with Garmin Mobile XT Software is expected to attract new users to the mobile-phone GPS market. According to a report by Canalys, the mobile navigation space has maintained a frenetic pace during the last 12 months, with some vendors seeing year-on-year doubling of shipments or better.

Garmin Mobile XT is preloaded on a microSD card (with miniSD and standard SD card adapters) that includes Garmin navigation software for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Customers can easily route to a specific street address or choose from more than 6 million points of interest – such as restaurants, hotels, ATMs, and gas stations. In addition to turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions, users also will see their exact position on a detailed moving map. If a turn is missed along the way, a new route will be recalculated automatically. Garmin’s map data is provided by NAVTEQ – a world leader in quality mapping.

“With Garmin’s high-powered software, Palm smartphone users will have GPS capabilities while on the go,” said Ed Tse, accessory solutions product manager at Palm, Inc. “Palm’s legendary touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard allow for quick input and inquiry.”

“Garmin is pleased to provide a navigation solution so Palm users can transform their favorite Palm Treo or Centro smartphone into a full-featured Garmin GPS navigator,” said Charles Morse, director of mobile and PND marketing at Garmin. “Garmin Mobile XT is easy to use, has no monthly charges, and will help ensure that Palm users never get lost again.”

In addition to navigation, Garmin Mobile XT includes free access to Garmin Online™ so that customers have useful, updated information at their fingertips, such as traffic, fuel prices, hotel prices and weather forecasts.(2) The traffic service from Traffic Reports and Alerts | Real Time Traffic | Road Conditions | Delays :: Traffic.com identifies accidents, road construction or other incidents affecting traffic, and routes users around the congestion. The fuel-price feature displays a filling station’s name, fuel price, type of fuel and distance to the station (U.S. only).

Pricing and Availability

The Palm GPS Navigator featuring Garmin Mobile XT software will be available in late November for $249 USD in the United States at Palm stores (Palm - Products - Palm Retail Store) and online at Welcome to the Palm Store. It also will be available in Canada online at Welcome to the Palm Canada Store.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc., a leader in mobile computing, strives to put the power of computing in people’s hands so they can access and share their most important information from anywhere. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm® Treo™ smartphones and Palm handheld computers, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm Retail Stores and Palm online stores (Welcome to the Palm Store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at Welcome to Palm - Select a Destination.

About Garmin International Inc.

Garmin International, Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq:GRMN - News) group of companies which designs, manufactures, markets, and sells navigation, communication and information devices and applications -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in consumer and general aviation navigation and its products serve the automotive/mobile, outdoor/fitness, marine, and aviation markets. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at * Garmin: Virtual Press Room * or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark, and Garmin Mobile and Garmin Online are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

(1) The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based system that provides location and timing information around the globe. GPS is operated and controlled under the sole responsibility of the Government of the United States of America, which is responsible for its availability and accuracy. Any changes in GPS availability and accuracy may impact the operation of your GPS receiver. Environmental conditions will affect the operation of your GPS receiver. Palm cannot accept any liability for the availability and accuracy of GPS.

(2) Within wireless service coverage area only. Availability and coverage depends upon carrier and the geographic scope of international roaming agreements. Email, messaging and web access requires data services at an additional cost.

Palm and Treo are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Palm, Inc. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.



Contact:
A&R Edelman for Palm, Inc.
Nada Antoun Chang, 512-560-6944
nantoun@ar-edelman.com
or
Garmin International
Jessica Myers, 913-397-8200
Jessica.Myers@garmin.com

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Source: Palm, Inc.