Software: Systems and Application Software - Principles of Information Systems - page 146

An IT group within the United States Department of Agriculture recently deployed
BlackBerries to their IT staff. 9 The high-speed network connection between BlackBerry and
the organization's private network allowed system support staff to troubleshoot problems on
Linux, UNIX, and Microsoft servers located in the home office from any location.
Palm OS
ACCESS Systems makes the Palm operating system, which is used in over 30 million handheld
computers and smartphones manufactured by Palm, Inc. and other companies. Palm also
develops and supports applications, including business, multimedia, games, productivity,
reference and education, hobbies and entertainment, travel, sports, utilities, and wireless
applications. Today, the smartphone market is overtaking the PDA market, as mobile users
prefer to combine phone and information services in one device. OSs for this market are also
provided by Research in Motion, Microsoft, Symbian, Apple (for the iPhone), and others.
Windows Embedded
Windows Embedded is a family of Microsoft OSs included with or embedded into small
computer devices. Windows Embedded includes several versions that provide computing
power for TV set-top boxes, automated industrial machines, media players, medical devices,
digital cameras, PDAs, GPS receivers, ATMs, gaming devices, and business devices such as
cash registers. Microsoft Auto provides a computing platform for automotive software such
as Ford Sync. The Ford Sync system uses an in-dashboard display and wireless networking
technologies to link automotive systems with cell phones and portable media players (see
Figure 4.9).
Figure 4.9
Microsoft Auto and Ford Sync
The Ford Sync system, developed on
the Microsoft Auto operating
system, allows drivers to wirelessly
connect cell phones and media
devices to automotive systems.
(Source: Courtesy of Microsoft
Corporation and Ford Motor
Company.)
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is an operating system designed for smartphones and PDAs. Different ver-
sions of Windows Mobile support either a touch screen interface or a menu-driven interface.
In addition to supporting typical cellular services, Windows Mobile provides handwriting
recognition, instant messaging technology, support for more secure Internet connections,
and the ability to beam information to other devices. The OS also has advanced telecom-
munications capabilities, discussed in more detail in Chapter 6. Dozens of phones provided
by all of the major carriers run Windows Mobile.