upping the ante

With the release of its new Treo 650 smartphone, handheld communications specialist palmOne has upped the ante for mobile professionals to stay connected to their offices. The device offers Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync with its VersaMail e-mail application. VersaMail's secure messaging system is compatible with Microsoft's Exchange Server 2003 programme, which enables direct corporate e-mail and calendar synchronisation. Priced at $5,480, the Treo 650 is the first palmOne handset built with Intel's new 312-megahertz XScale PXA270 processor, which adds a range of new multimedia and security features. In Hong Kong, the new smartphone comes with a CD containing CJKOS software and the PenPower handwriting system.