3Com puts PeopleSoft in its Palm

Business software developer PeopleSoft today announced a partnership with 3Com's Palm Computing to deliver PeopleSoft's eBusiness applications on the Palm line of handheld devices.

Announced today at PeopleSoft's annual user conference in New Orleans, the PeopleSoft expenses application will be the first in a series of applications being developed to bring PeopleSoft business applications to the Palm Computing platform, the companies said in a statement.

Through its partnership with Palm, PeopleSoft customers will be able to record and manage their business expenses anywhere.

The integration of the expenses application with the Palm Computing platform will let mobile professionals, like business executives on the road or sales representatives out on the field, to record expenses on Palm Computing handheld devices as they occur.

The transfer of data from the handheld to the expense application on a PC takes place simultaneously as it would when a business traveler uses a Palm device to update other data, such as an electronic calendar or e-mail. Users of the Palm VII connected organizer will be able to wirelessly replicate PeopleSoft data directly to a server in real-time, without the need for a PC, the companies said.

PeopleSoft said additional applications for the Service Supply Chain will offer integration to the Palm Computing platform beginning in the first half of next year.

Today's announcement comes two days after PeopleSoft competitor and German software giant SAP said it is teaming with Microsoft to connect mobile devices with its enterprise applications.

As reported, Microsoft and SAP announced plans to develop technology for connecting Microsoft Windows CE-based and other mobile devices to SAP's business applications using the Internet and the Microsoft's BizTalk Framework. The companies said they plan to demo products based on Microsoft's BizTalk Framework and SAP business applications at SAP's Saphire '99 user conference next month.

The PeopleSoft expenses application, which is being demonstrated today at its user conference, is scheduled to be generally available in the fourth quarter of this year.