Airtel in your Palm: The Treo launched on the Airtel Network

New Delhi: US mobile computing company Palm Inc., has announced the availability of their Palm Treo 750 smartphone in India, in a partnership with Bharti Airtel.

The phone is the first Windows-based Treo smartphone to be launched in India, and is a multi-featured mobile phone with e-mail, messaging, web browsing and organisation software, along capable of 3G for faster data access.

According to Sharon Ee, head of business, South Asia, for Palm Inc., India is a lucrative market for any global telecom service provider fighting for a space out here. India is one of the world's fastest growing telecom markets.

The $1.56 billion Palm Inc., entered the Indian market first in 1999. According to company estimates, the domestic smartphone segment is poised to balloon to $2.7 billion by 2011, which would be about 9.2 million units.

According to a statement by the company, around 5 million Treo smartphones in use companies and individuals globally. The Treo footprint is a key focus area for Palm, and the company sees India as an important market, where Treo smartphones are well poised to meet growing demand of Indian consumers who desire a compelling mobile-computing experience.

Sanjay Gupta, chief marketing officer for mobile services at Bharti Airtel said that the alliance with Palm to introduce the Treo 750 smartphone underlines Airtel's commitment to innovation. Airtel says that the Treo 750 is a best-in-class product that delivers a rich experience, which makes it an essential mobility, productivity, and business tool.

For a period of time, the Treo 750 will be available exclusively on Airtel, and would cost Rs 26,990. Airtel earlier had a similar exclusive agreement for providing bundled services with BlackBerry and HTC.