Handhelds get better thanks to new software.

Riverbed Technologies Inc. has a simple philosophy when it comes to corporate computing: downsize.Though laptop computers have become a convenient, portable means for roving workers to link up with the office, Riverbed thinks many users would be better served by tiny handheld devices such as 3Com Corp._s PalmPilot organizers. To make that happen, Riverbed develops and markets software to coordinate the use of handheld devices - primarily those built on the PalmPilot platform - on corporate networks. Driving the interest in this technology is the surge of interest in handhelds sparked by the PalmPilot. Though handheld computers have endured a rocky path to acceptance - with devices like Apple Computer Inc._s Newton promising too much, too soon - the various models of 3Com_s Palm have finally validated the concept. Driving the interest in this technology is the surge of interest in handhelds sparked by the PalmPilot. The relatively low cost of Palm devices - ranging from less than $200 for the original model to about $600 for a new version that offers wireless communications - has made them an attractive alternative to laptops for companies that want to collect and deliver information to mobile employees. The new wireless version is especially enticing, offering corporate users the ability to pull information onto PalmPilots without being physically connected to a phone. Handheld devices such as the PalmPilot work well by themselves. With built-in software, a user can "synchronize" data on the handheld with information stored on a personal computer - ensuring that phone lists, calendars and other personal-organization files are up to date. But when it comes to making handhelds talk to an entire corporate network instead of a lone PC, things get complicated. To make handhelds a viable solution for roving workers, they must be able to dial into a corporate server, retrieve and send information, and do so securely - using the same kind of password and other protections that have become standard for laptop users.