. Now there are rumors swirling at Palm that a suitor has been calling in an effort to buy them out.
These rumors have plagued Palm for years, and in response the brass generally sends a company-wide email saying something to the effect of “that’s crap, we’re not for sale.” The thing is, this time, there’s been no such email, and the rumors are pointing towards Motorola as the mystery suitor.
In addition, Mark Nelson, an investor who owns 8% of Palm, recently called for the company to actively look at potential buyers. Also, Jonathan Hoopes, an analyst at ThinkEquity, sees Moto’s move on Symbol as a motivating factor for Palm to sell out to an outside group, as it makes them a more attractive way to bolster any smartphone offerings. Symbol helps Moto’s effort to go after RIM, but doesn’t go nearly far enough. Hoopes sees Palm as a large piece to this puzzle.
Personally, we still see Apple as a perfect match with Palm, as they both like simple, clean hardware, are market innovators, and have a knack for surviving despite the odds. And with Apple’s super-double-secret iPhone coming, having an experienced hardware partner that has existing relationships with all of the major cellular carriers would probably help matters.
Palm: Increasing Chance Company Will Be Bought, Says ThinkEquity [Barron’s Blogs]