GeoWorks Announces First Software Developers Conference: “GEOS: The New Profit Platform”
BERKELEY, Calif. — September 7, 1993 — GeoWorks, creator of the GEOS operating system, will host its first software developers conference Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 25-26, at the Hyatt Regency, Burlingame, Calif.
The two-day conference, "GEOS: The New Profit Platform," will highlight the opportunities available to independent software vendors (ISVs) in the emerging market for low-cost, high-volume consumer computing devices (CCDs).
GeoWorks provides the underlying system software for the Zoomer Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld, pen-based device developed jointly with Tandy, Casio, Palm Computing, Intuit and America Online. GEOS is also the system software for several soon-to-be- announced CCDs that will be low-cost and have long battery life.
The market for these types of mobile devices is poised for explosive growth and will eventually exceed that of the personal computer industry, according to industry analysts.
During the conference, attendees will receive, free, GeoWorks' new Software Development Kit (SDK), and senior executives from hardware manufacturers will be discussing their marketing plans for new devices utilizing GEOS system software. GeoWorks OEM partners participating in the conference include Tandy, Casio and other major, worldwide consumer electronics companies.
Other speakers include Brian Dougherty, chairman and CEO, GeoWorks, who will provide his vision of the long-range opportunity for mass-market consumer computing devices.
Jeff Hawkins, chairman of Palm Computing, will address the benefits of GEOS' rapid product development cycle. Analysts Bruce Stephen, director of PC hardware research, International Data Corp.; William Ablondie, vice president, BIS Strategic Decisions; and Kenneth Dulaney, vice president, Mobile Business Strategies, Gartner Group, will discuss their perspectives on the opportunities this new market will create.
"Companies looking to develop for PDAs and other GEOS-based mobile devices will hear firsthand which markets have the most potential and learn about specific opportunities for developing vertical market applications," said Dougherty.
"Attendees will have access to fellow developers, our hardware partners and key industry analysts who will provide technical comparisons of existing operating systems, overviews of support that's available in the market today and feedback on 'killer applications.'"
Marketing track sessions will include an analysis of how selecting the right operating systems could impact the profit potential for ISVs and a review of why this market holds tremendous opportunity for high-volume horizontal or vertical applications that meet users' needs.
The technical track lineup includes a GEOS system software overview, a detailed session on GeoWorks' new toolkit for developers, an engineering overview of Zoomer and a look at how to work with PIM data.
The Hyatt Regency is located at 1333 Bayshore Hwy., Burlingame, Calif. To register, call GeoWorks at 800/524-1857, ext. 1214. The cost for attending is $445 for early-bird registrants and $595 after Oct. 6.
NOTE: GEOS and GeoWorks are registered trademarks of GeoWorks in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
CONTACT:
The Bohle Co., Los Angeles
Holly Zmetrovich/Karl Fields, 310/785-0515, ext. 227/233
or:
GeoWorks, Berkeley
Deborah Dawson, 510/204-8550