In the first product announcement resulting from its acquisition of Starfish Software Inc., Motorola
Inc. introduced a personal organizer accessory designed to clip on to the back of other StarTAC phones at Wireless ’99
this week called the StarTAC Mobile Organizer.
The 2.3 ounce device allows users to access their calendar, to-do
lists and address book and, when connected to the phone, call any number stored on the device via one-touch
dialing.
Users also may synchronize the information on the device with that on their desktop computers and/or
personal digital assistants running such personal information management software as Yahoo! Calendar & Address
Book, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Organizer, Lotus Notes, ACT!, Sidekick, Palm III and REX PRO. Starfish’s TrueSync
technology makes this sharing possible. With it, users also may synchronize the organizer’s phone book with that stored
on a StarTAC’s internal directory.
Motorola bought Starfish last year, which now operates as a wholly owned
independent subsidiary.
“The Motorola StarTAC Mobile Organizer is the first of many smart connected
solutions Starfish and Motorola expect to be shipping over the months and years to come,” said Philippe Kahn,
president and chief executive officer of Starfish.
The devices flexible form factor has won praise by industry
analysts. Handsets that integrate PDA functionality into mobile phones to date have been criticized for being too bulky
and expensive. The ability to attach and detach the organizer at will is a new method of addressing this problem. The
device is compatible with all StarTAC lines, including Code Division Multiple Access and Time Division Multiple
Access models.
It also features Starfish’s SuperKey Light Data Entry System. The device alone is expected to retail
for about $250. Motorola said it will provide StarTAC packages that will include both a phone and organizer, or allow
customers to buy the organizer separately.
