PDA firm Palm reverts to old name

NEW YORK - Handheld computer maker palmOne Inc on Thursday changed its name to Palm Inc, reverting to the iconic brand name it went by before it split its hardware and software operations into separate public companies.

From today, the company, which makes personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones with built-in computer functions, will trade on Nasdaq under the symbol "PALM".

As palmOne, it had traded under the ticker symbol "PLMO."

The change comes after palmOne in May acquired the sole rights to the name Palm Inc from PalmSource Inc, which supplies the operating system software that powers "Palm" handheld devices and Treo smartphones. The companies had co-owned the name since they separated in October 2003.

Palm also said that it has relocated its headquarters to Sunnyvale, California, from Milpitas, California.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, demand for Palms soared as consumers snapped up the digital devices, which hold thousands of phone numbers, appointments and personal memos in one pocket-sized gadget.

Interest has cooled significantly in recent years as those features eventually found their way into other small gadgets, like mobile phones and electronic messaging devices.

- REUTERS