.KEYWORD intelligolf
.FLYINGHEAD ENTERPRISE BRIEFING
.TITLE Palm hits hole-in-one at Nissan Open
.FEATURE
.SPOTLIGHT FIGALT cover.gif
.SUMMARY Palm’s Enterprise Briefing took place this year at the Nissan Open PGA golf tournament, and Craig Schmidt, president of Karrier Communications and publisher of IntelliGolf, was there. We’re thrilled to feature his special report from the fun-filled and informative event. You’ll get the scoop on Palm’s plans for the enterprise market as well as some exciting play-by-play from the final rounds of the tournament.
.AUTHOR Craig Schmidt
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 About this article
Palm’s Enterprise Briefing took place this year at the Nissan Open PGA golf tournament, and Craig Schmidt, president of Karrier Communications, was there. We at PalmPower like to bring you reports by the top experts in their fields, and as publisher of IntelliGolf, Craig is probably the leading golf expert in the Palm community. We’re thrilled to feature his special report from the fun-filled and informative event. You’ll get the scoop on Palm’s plans for the enterprise market as well as some exciting play-by-play from the final rounds of the tournament.
.END_SIDEBAR
With views of white sand beaches and palm trees swaying in the breeze, as shown in Figure A, executives from leading corporations attended Palm’s Enterprise Briefing at this year’s Nissan Open PGA golf tournament. As you might imagine, as publisher of IntelliGolf, I was thrilled to be able to attend.
.FIGPAIR A Views of white sand beaches greeted attendees at Palm’s Enterprise Briefing.
Attendees were greeted by senior executives from Palm, Inc. and Karrier Communications at the Fairmont Miramar hotel in Santa Monica, California. Palm shared insights into its future enterprise directions and then treated its guests to green-side seating on the 17th hole of the Nissan Open golf tournament.
.CALLOUT Impressively, every official (walking) scorer on the PGA tour keeps score for every professional golfer on a Palm handheld.
.H1 Commitment to the enterprise
Opening the session was Todd Bradley, executive vice-president and COO of Palm’s Enterprise Solutions Group, pictured in Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B Here’s Todd Bradley, executive vice-president and COO of Palm’s Enterprise Solutions Group.
Bradley emphasized Palm’s commitment to the enterprise and its strategy to fund two well-capitalized high-growth Palm companies. Bradley did a rousing job of highlighting Palm’s significant wins (vis-a-vis Microsoft) and his desire to form strategic alliances with four enterprise partners by summer, Siebel being the first. Bradley is confident that by combining handheld solutions, software solutions, partners, and a winning sales and support team, Palm can do great things within the enterprise. "Palm needs to continue to dominate the consumer market but at the same time provide enterprise-grade solutions that will integrate seamlessly into the corporate infrastructure. We are prepared to do just that," he said.
.H1 Roadmap for success
Jonathan Oakes, director of Palm’s Enterprise Planning and Strategy, followed with details on Palm’s roadmap for success within the enterprise. "Today’s enterprises have more mobile workers than ever before," he said. "They need ways to ‘mobilize’ their existing applications as well as develop new ones." Oaks highlighted plans to work with Palm’s enterprise customers, developers, and traditional software vendors via its new WMS (Wireless Messaging Server) and an upcoming database initiative. Palm’s WMS solution will provide and end-to-end, Palm-branded, secure, centrally-managed solution for wireless "always on" enterprise mail. It will support Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino with push email to Palm’s new i705 handheld including end-to-end encryption.
Oakes closed his presentation, noting, "Palm’s road map for success will provide corporate customers with advanced notice on future directions, capabilities, and partnerships."
.H1 IntelliGolf and the enterprise
With business matters covered, Karrier Communications got to take the stage as Palm invited me to discuss our IntelliGolf scorecard application (at http://www.intelligolf.com/hole-in-one.asp). I’m pictured in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C That’s me…Craig Schmidt, discussing the IntelliGolf scorecard application.
IntelliGolf automates on-course golf scoring and wagering, plus it provides golf enthusiasts with game-improving graphs and statistics. During my presentation, I explained that IntelliGolf was designed using a four-tiered enterprise development model. IntelliGolf includes:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Data collection and reporting on the handheld for on-course scoring and wagering;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Data management and analysis on the PC for handicap approximation and performance evaluation;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Wireless and network access to over 14,000 Internet-based scorecards for mobile golfers;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Open systems information distribution using XML, HMTL, and beaming technology for scoring local golf tournaments.
.END_LIST
By using an enterprise development model, we’ve been able to meet the needs of our customers in over 100 countries worldwide. This same technology can be used for developing corporate applications.
.H1 ShotLink tracking system
Closing Palm’s executive briefing was Gail Moody, director of Palm’s Enterprise Marketing team. Gail provided an excellent overview of the PGA Tour’s ShotLink tracking system (at http://www.shotlink.com). She explained that the ShotLink system was a multi-million dollar cooperative development effort between the PGA Tour, IBM, Palm, and various technology partners. The system provides real-time information on professional player standings and hole-by-hole scoring via wireless-enabled Palm handhelds. Impressively, every official (walking) scorer on the PGA tour keeps score for every professional golfer on a Palm handheld, as shown in Figure D?
.FIGPAIR D Every official (walking) scorer on the PGA tour keeps score on a Palm handheld.
Scores are then uploaded to the ShotLink scoring truck, pictured in Figure E, in real time.
.FIGPAIR E Scores are uploaded to the ShotLink scoring truck.
Data received at the truck is then disseminated in real-time to all media broadcasters, no matter where they are on the course.
Gail then provided each attendee with a new Palm i705 wireless handheld, the IntelliGolf Birdie edition software, an invitation to visit the ShotLink command and control truck, and an invitation to join Palm on the 17th green of the Nissan Open. "Limos will be leaving in 10 minutes," she was heard to say.
.H1 The Nissan Open
With the semi-final Round of the Nissan Open about to start, Palm’s executive guests headed for the course. Upon arrival, each attendee used a ShotLink-enabled Palm i705 handheld for following their favorite player(s) from Palm’s green-side stadium tent on the 17th green, pictured in Figure F.
.FIGPAIR F Palm’s guests watched the game from the stadium tent on the 17th green.
Lunch and refreshments were served as the Tour pros came and went. Then, in a remarkable set of events, Scott McCarron sunk a 50-foot eagle putt on the 17th hole to overtake Toru Taniguchi for the lead in Saturday’s semi-final event. The crowd roared again as McCarron closed out his semi-final Round in the #1 position, just one hole later.
Scott McCarron continued his dominance well into Sunday’s final Round at the Nissan Open. Then came the 17th hole again. With all eyes watching, McCarron’s playing partner, Lenny Mattiace, pictured in Figure G, reached the 576-yard Par 5 green in two.
.FIGPAIR G Lenny Mattiace reached the 576 yard Par 5 green in two.
Facing a long eagle putt, Mattiace lined up his shot and let it roll. The ball screamed up the inclined green and rimmed the cup stopping just 18 inches from the hole. Mattiace finished with a birdie and McCarron with a par. Both players were tied at 15 going into the 18th hole.
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With long drives settling to rest in the center of the fairway, both Mattiace and McCarron reach for their irons to attack the 18th green. Mattiace’s ball landed on the green but was still some distance from the hole. McCarron was just off the green but closer than Mattiace. Mattiace putted first, leaving the ball slightly short of the cup. McCarron, in the thick kikuyu rough, used his putter only to see his ball jump up and stop about seven feet short of the hole. McCarron needed to make his putt for par but reluctantly settled for a bogey. Mattiace took a practice putt, addressed the ball, and then centered his putt into the cup, winning the Nissan Open!
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on Palm’s directions into the enterprise, please contact Palm enterprise sales at (888) 223-4817.
For more information on IntelliGolf, visit http://www.intelligolf.com/hole-in-one.asp.
For more information on ShotLink, visit http://www.shotlink.com.
For more information on Palm handhelds, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Easy, flexible article reprints
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.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO Craig Schmidt is President of Karrier Communications, makers of IntelliGolf scorecard software at http://www.intelligolf.com.
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6fd74
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