Although there isn't a huge proportion of Palm OS users running enterprise applications on their devices, those who do can now have the Windows Mobile platform as a viable alternative, said Carmi Levy, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research in London, Ont.

Now that Palm is offering enterprises a choice between two mobile operating platforms, IT managers have the opportunity to standardize on a single platform, added Eddie Chan, research analyst for mobile and personal computing technology at IDC Canada in Toronto.

'IT managers would want to simplify as much as possible. The Windows Mobile platform is fairly intuitive, as well as Palm, but [decisions can be based on] the look and feel of the Windows environment and the applications,' said Chan.

Windows' huge installed base can also drive adoption of Windows Mobile-based Treo devices. While Palm has done 'quite well' with the Treo product line -- historically, it's been second to Research in Motion in market share -- the Windows Mobile platform gives it greater market opportunity, the analyst explained.

'[Palm] has done quite well with just the Palm platform, but obviously when you look in terms of corporations and their installed base of Windows environment -- whether client or server -- it definitely makes for a greater reach for them,' said Chan.