Delphi, Palm Investment

Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. and Palm Inc. said they invested in a new venture that plans to offer Internet service in autos by mid-2001, bringing together the largest makers of auto parts and electronic organizers. Terms of the investments in MobileAria weren’t disclosed. MobileAria plans to offer its service through a hands-free, voice-activated system that works with Delphi’s Communiport device, Palm’s namesake hand-held computers and mobile phones. The move expands on Delphi and Palm’s agreement in April to make Communiport, a dashboard hookup for Palm organizers that will let drivers use voice commands to call up calendars, phone lists and other information. Shares of Troy, Mich.-based Delphi closed at $14.75, up 88 cents on the New York Stock Exchange. Palm, based in Santa Clara, Calif., closed at $46.94, up $4.88 on Nasdaq.