Should Palm license BlackBerry?

If you ask me, Palm, Inc. should be the first company knocking on Research in Motion's door to become a BlackBerry licensee. I know what you're thinking, Palm has its own wireless email and data solution. But given the cutbacks of the past year and the divvying of engineers between Palm, Inc. and its new PalmSource subsidiary, you've got to wonder whether developing its own home-grown wireless technology is a wise use of its scarce resources?

I say it isn't. Not when you can go out and license a time-proven technology such as RIM's. Rather than "reinventing the wheel", Palm could spend additional time developing--and thoroughly testing--its devices and wireless services.

At the same time, as we mentioned here last year, RIM should be transitioning out of the hardware business, and concentrating on maintaining its position as the preeminent wireless email solutions company. OK, it can add wireless intranet to that mix too. But if RIM truly wants to expand its business it will have to leave its proprietary hardware roots behind.

Imagine, a Palm or Sony Handheld running a new operating system from PalmSource and wireless technology from RIM. Not a bad combination, if you ask me.