3Com Corp has won a major deal with communications equipment developer Qualcomm Inc through its Palm Computing Inc division, which will license PalmPilot technology for use in a new line of mobile communications products based on the new Code Division Multiple Access standard. The latest deal is the largest of its kind for 3Com in this arena, although the company has already inked smaller deals with Motorola Inc, which is using the technology in an integrated pager offering, and AT&T Corp which uses components of the technology in its PocketNet phone. Despite the popularity of PalmPilot platform, which 3Com acquired from US Robotics Inc last year (CI No 3,253), the company faces stiff competition from Microsoft Corp, who has signed up Hewlett- Packard Co and Philips Electronics NV as licensees for its rival Windows CE operating system.
