Dell Computer Corp. and Good Technology Inc. will work to develop handheld devices that incorporate more advanced wireless data access technologies, the companies said Tuesday at a press conference.
The companies touched off speculation about possible deals or even an acquisition when they teased media and analysts with a mailed invitation to their joint press conference in Menlo Park, California.
The less-sexy but still noteworthy news is that the companies are plotting to bring Good's wireless e-mail software to Dell's handhelds and servers. The deal was announced at the headquarters of venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, which is an investor in Good Technology.
Dell will offer GoodLink bundled with its PowerEdge servers immediately. GoodLink allows handheld users to wirelessly synchronize their devices with corporate e-mail and documents without having to place the device in a cradle connected to a PC. It is similar to a technology developed by Research In Motion Ltd., which makes and sells the popular BlackBerry device. The BlackBerry can send and receive e-mail wirelessly, but requires a physical connection to a PC to update some data or erase e-mail from an inbox.
As handheld devices and cellular networks became increasingly sophisticated, Good realized it could benefit from partnering with a major hardware vendor, allowing it to focus on developing its GoodLink software and helping to make wireless e-mail a mainstream technology, said Danny Shader, chief executive officer of Good Technology, based in Sunnyvale, California.
"Dell makes things go mainstream," he said. The companies do not have a target date set for the introduction of GoodLink on Dell's Axim handhelds or future devices, said Tony Bonadero, director of wireless and handhelds for Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas.
