We value personalized news and information services delivered via Net devices. Most of us can wait until we get back to our desktop PCs. While personalized stock quotes won't drive the growth of Net devices, customized database-derived business information will. This type of data can increase profits and strengthen a company's competitive stance. It enables, for instance, service personnel to check the availability of replacement parts from the field.
Doctors visiting patients in nursing homes can prescribe medication and check for test results.
While not as sexy as wireless stock trading, these applications are more important to the bottom lines of many companies. And unless large companies buy the lion's share of Net devices, just as they buy the lion's share of PCs, devices will be little more than a novelty item for early adapters. That's why it's not surprising that clever older software companies like Oracle and Sybase are investing heavily into the enterprise use of Net devices. They intrinsically understand which information will sell Net devices. Some device vendors understand also, most notably Palm.