Palm today unveiled the Treo Pro, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone with email, Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities, to compete for business users against rivals such as Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry.

The Treo Pro's thin design offers a high-resolution color touch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard with a removable battery for up to five hours of talk time. Users can quickly respond to business and personal email, access the web, stay on top of appointments and contacts, and use Wi-Fi or GPS on the go. It delivers increased security, easier device management and access to information on corporate networks.

The Treo Pro uses the Windows Mobile 6.1 platform for features such as:

- One-touch Wi-Fi button for fast connections (802.11b/g)
- Screen enhancements to search the web directly from the Today screen
- Ringer switch silences the device immediately
- Screen saver lets users know at a glance, without turning on the device, what time it is and whether they've missed a call or have a new message
- New voicemail indicator flashes to let users know that a voicemail is waiting
- Dedicated email and calendar buttons for one-button access

With the Treo Pro, businesses can quickly and easily deploy a secure and low-cost infrastructure for their mobile workforce including:

- Microsoft Direct Push Technology to connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or 2007 gives users up-to-date email, contacts and calendars
- Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 to deliver increased security, easier smartphone management, and access to information on the corporate network
- Thousands of applications available for Windows Mobile to extend mobility beyond email to optimize business processes
- World phone with high-speed UMTS/HSDPA network capabilities, ideal for companies with an international work force
- Integrated GPS to access maps, turn-by-turn directions and point-of-interest (POI) searches
- Familiar Windows experience let users browse the web with built-in Internet Explorer Mobile; open, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files; review PowerPoint presentations and PDF files; and open ZIP files remotely

"Everything about Treo Pro - from the hardware design to the packaging and accessories - embodies the elegant and simplified end-to-end experience that our customers expect from Palm," said Ed Colligan, Palm CEO.

The Palm Treo Pro will be available in September in Europe through Vodafone and O2, and in Australia through Telstra. It will be available in the United States in the fall for a suggested retail price of $549. The U.S. version is unlocked and unsubsidized.