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Symbol Technologies rugged handhelds aren't the most glamorous devices in the world. Yet they get the job done for industrial and commercial customers with their ruggedness, scanners, wireless capabilities, etc.

Although the company offers several Pocket PC and Windows CE .NET PDAs, it is also a member of a select group of vendors that sell Palm products as well: It plans to keep on doing so for the foreseeable future.

Symbol renewed its commitment to the Palm platform this week through a new deal with PalmSource, the developer of the operating system (OS). The agreement lets the company continue to implement the Palm OS in several of its current handhelds, including the SPT1550 and SPT1800, and future mobile computers.

The SPT1550 and SPT1800 combine integrated scanning with a choice of batch processing or wireless connectivity options for transportation, logistics, healthcare, and retail sectors.

Chuck Dourlet, the company's VP of product marketing, said the agreement lets "Symbol continue to provide a choice in operating systems for its enterprise mobility customers, allowing them to select the business applications that best meet their mobile workforce requirements."

For PalmSource, the deal helps maintain its position in the industrial market at a time when pressure from competing platforms, especially Windows Mobile, continues to chip away at its consumer base.

As PalmSource VP of product marketing Charlie Tritschler says, "We believe extending our partnership with Symbol Technologies will enable PalmSource to enhance the Palm OS platform's commercial market penetration, as well as continue to serve Symbol's Palm Powered mobile users.