Wireless

Hewlett-Packard and Research In Motion announced on Monday a partnership for enterprise clients that incorporates the newly released BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 software and a print service.

HP CloudPrint for BlackBerry Smartphones, a Web-based technology slated to be shown at this week's Wireless Enterprise Symposium in Orlando, Fla., lets users print e-mails, photos, documents, and Web pages from their BlackBerrys to the nearest printer, regardless of the printer manufacturer, HP said in a statement: "The service is printer-agnostic and driverless, and requires simple Internet access."

HP Operations Manager for BlackBerry Enterprise Server, also released Monday, is designed to enable companies to monitor and manage their BlackBerry enterprise environment. Managed BlackBerry Services, meanwhile, enables IT managers to outsource support of the BlackBerry environment to EDS Mobile Workplace Services, HP said.

"RIM and HP are working together to deliver solutions to customers that weave mobility into their daily operations--from innovative new services in the cloud to managed mobile services for the enterprise," Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive officer of Research In Motion, said in a statement. "Through our collaboration with HP, businesses will have access to an expanded set of applications and services for their BlackBerry smartphone deployments."

Hewlett-Packard is considering using Google's Android operating system on its low-cost Netbooks, an executive at the company told The Wall Street Journal.

In a story posted Tuesday, the Journal reported that Satjiv Chahil, a vice president of HP's PC division, confirmed that the company was studying the Google software.

"We want to assess the capability Android may have for the computer and communications industries, and so we are studying it," Chahil was quoted as saying in the Journal article.

Chahil declined to say for certain whether HP plans to sell Android devices, the article stated.

Android is a Linux-based operating system that was originally designed for cell phones. The operating system is currently available on only one phone, T-Mobile's G1 made by HTC. In February, HTC also announced it will offer Android on another phone called the HTC Magic. Several other handset makers, including Samsung and Motorola, have also promised Android-based phones.

But now experts are predicting that the open-source operating system could be used on other devices, such as the emerging low-cost laptops known as Netbooks. In fact, market research firm Ovum recently predicted that Android-powered Netbooks will emerge in 2009, as manufacturers attempt to drive the price of Netbooks to around $200 or less.

The reason is simple. Linux-based software, such as Android, is free, while Microsoft charges a hefty licensing fee for the Windows operating system. In order to hit super low price points, manufacturers need to cut costs wherever they can and that means ditching Microsoft's Windows software.

The problem is that most consumers are comfortable and familiar with Windows PCs and thus prefer a Windows-based Netbook to one using a generic Linux operating system.

Laurent Lachal, the open-source research director at Ovum, believes that Android could reverse this trend, especially as the Android software finds its way onto more mobile phones and Google's Android application store, known as Android Market, builds its inventory of new applications.

Independent software developers can now charge for applications on Android Market, which Laurent believes will increase support from the developer community.

HP has already been working on ways to offer an inexpensive and easy-to-use interface for its Netbooks that is an alternative to Microsoft's Windows. In October last year, it announced the Mini 1000 MIE, a Linux version of its Mini 1000 Netbook that is meant for casual, online use. The device costs $379 versus another version of the Mini 1000, which comes with with Windows XP and either an 8.9-inch or 10.2-inch screen for $449.

Android isn't currently available on PCs, but other PC makers have said they are considering using the software. Asustek Computer has already said it is considering using Android. And Dell is also considering the software for its upcoming smartphone.

Google declined to comment on whether HP or any other Netbook maker is planning to use its Android software, but the company emphasized that its Android software is not restricted to mobile phones.

"The Android smartphone platform was designed from the beginning to scale downward to feature phones and upward to MID and Netbook-style devices," a Google spokeswoman said. "We look forward to seeing what contributions are made and how an open platform spurs innovation, but we have nothing to announce at this time."

Verizon Wireless is poised to sell at least one Netbook in the next few months, according to reports in Bloomberg and TheStreet.com.

Both outlets cite unnamed sources, but Bloomberg's source, said to be someone close to the project at Verizon, says a partnership is being negotiated with more than one PC maker. No word on what the service contract for a Netbook from Verizon would entail.

Is Verizon getting ready to sell 3G-enabled Netbooks?

(Credit: Dell)

Currently, Verizon doesn't sell a 3G-enabled Netbook, but chief rival AT&T does. AT&T sells Acer Netbooks for $99 with service through RadioShack, and also sells Dell Mini Inspirons through the wireless provider's Web site. Though Verizon isn't confirming the report, a move to sell Netbooks is widely seen as a way to keep up with its rival.

The report suggests Verizon is working with more than one PC vendor, and Dell seems like an obvious candidate as one of them, though a Dell representative did not have an immediate comment. Dell already has a relationship with Verizon parent company Vodafone, which has sold Dell Netbooks in Europe since September 2008.

So who could be the other Netbook maker? A similar rumor floated around the Web last week regarding HP hooking up with Verizon. HP had no comment, but provided a statement from Kevin Frost, HP's general manager of consumer notebooks: "It's natural for carriers the world over to be interested in HP's broad portfolio of thin and light minis. We are talking with carriers all over the world. We are talking with carriers all over the world."

Netbooks are the fastest-growing category of PCs in the last year. Starting from virtually zero in late 2007, 10 million Netbooks were shipped by the end of 2008, accounting for 7 percent of all portable PCs shipped.

The limited capability of Netbooks is also intended to be their appeal: they're basically good for getting online and doing light word processing. But their small size makes them easily transportable, and having the ability to access the Web easily and from anywhere only increases their value. Though the bundled Internet-service model has failed in the U.S. in the past, our reliance on the Web makes it seem like this model could fare better this time around.