CES: Verizon Wireless launches Windows Treo

At the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Palm announced it has commercially released its much-anticipated Treo 700W, it’s first Windows-powered device, for Verizon Wireless’s 3G network.

The smartphone uses Windows Mobile 5.0, an operating system that competes with the PalmSource OS, which, until today, Palm used exclusively in its PDAs and phones. The new device has advanced messaging features and connectivity not found in Palm’s other line of Treo devices, including the native ability to synch directly with Microsoft Exchange corporate e-mail servers -- a key advantage for the OS in the enterprise segments.

Though Palm is expecting to open up new markets both domestically and internationally with the Windows phone, company officials said they are not neglecting its Palm OS-powered line of products. While the 700W is its most powerful device to date, it is also its newest, incorporating new features that will go into the its traditional Treo lines as they are updated, said David Williams, director of carrier product marketing for Palm.

The 700W also signals Palm’s move into 3G, and several of the enhanced browsing and data features reflect the new capabilities Verizon’s CDMA 1X EV-DO network can bring to the device. While Palm is planning to create versions of the phone for UMTS and high-speed downlink packet access networks, it has set no schedule for their release.

“We’re evaluating other wireless technologies now,” Williams said. “We’re absolutely interested in those technologies. We just can’t comment on timing.”

Verizon Wireless will have exclusive access to the 700W until the end of the second quarter, giving it both a powerful enterprise-and business-device as well as unique 3G handset ahead of its competitors. Though Sprint will have to wait six months for the new Treo, it has already launched Windows Mobile-powered devices over it Power Vision and business 3G services