At first glance, the Palm Profile doesn’t seem like much, but it is certainly something that all Palm owners should be aware of and utilize. If you go to Palm.com, where you can view your Palm Profile set up upon phone activation, it displays your basic contact, password, security and device information. With minimal information provided and what appears to be only a means of updating this information, the Palm Profile seemed of little personal use and I never really thought about it since purchasing my Palm Pre Plus. But the Palm Profile has function and purpose beyond what meets the eye.
For your more immediate or day-to-day needs, having an active Palm Profile provides you with access to automatic updates and daily data backups. The following data is backed up every day through your Palm Profile and stored on Palm’s encrypted server:
So what does the Palm Profile and backup mean for Palm users? If you lose, replace or otherwise have to get a new Palm phone or if you somehow lose data on your current phone, all backed up data can easily be retrieved and restored through your Palm Profile. No having to worry about transferring data or trying to relocate and recover the data you lost.
The Palm Profile also provides another important feature in the event you lose your phone and are concerned about the security and privacy of your data. By logging on to your Palm Profile online, you have the option to send an erase command to your phone. Once sent, your phone is completely wiped and restored to factory settings.
I think the Palm Profile is so easily overlooked because, when viewed online, you cannot access any of your stored data like contacts or calendar events. The reason being, however, the Palm Profile and associated website are not meant to act as an online viewing source. Rather, all information backed up through your Palm Profile is stored on Palm’s encrypted server, accessible only through your current Palm or any that are subsequently registered. The real substance of the Palm Profile lies in what you cannot see.
Knowing the purpose and function of the Palm Profile is a useful bit of knowledge to archive for the future. You never know when you will need it, but rather than let panic set in at that time, rest assured in the peace of mind of your Palm Profile, which will certainly save you some headaches, time and effort later on.
