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Sun
Microsystems and its partners have been developing and deploying
Java™ technology for small devices over the last several years.
This has given rise to the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME™),
Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and Mobile Information
Device Profile (MIDP) specifications. More than 50 million Java
wireless handsets based upon these specs have been deployed globally
over the past two years (80 models of handsets produced by more
than 15 device manufacturers), making Java the technology of choice
for mobile phones.
The
fast pace of Java handset development has led to a proliferation
of proprietary extensions and device-specific code. While the specs
allow such flexibility and extensibility, this goes against the
grain of achieving cross-platform interoperability, which remains
a central theme in the Java approach. Also, the baseline specs continue
to evolve. Thus, many implementers have realized the need for guidelines
and standards for technology planning purposes and for the consistent
application and use of these specs.
An
esteemed group of industry experts consisting of Motorola, Nokia,
Siemens, Sony, Ericsson, Sun Microsystems, Symbian, T-Mobile, Vodafone
and others have formed the Java Technology for the Wireless Industry
(JTWI) Expert Group (JSR 185). This Java Community Process[sm] expert
group has the goal of collaborating to formulate and agree on the
implementation guidelines and standards for Java-based mobile phones.
JTWI does not define new APIs. It defines new profiles using existing
specs.
"Indeed
the industry seems pleased with the effort to bring some law
and order to the wireless frontier," states John Jackson
of Yankee Group.
The
first step taken by the group was the release of the JTWI "road
map". This road map gives carriers, device manufacturers, integrators,
and content and service developers the guidelines to better plan
their development and deployment strategies. The specification that
fulfills the road map and defines the requirements necessary to
ensure cross-platform interoperability will be finalized by mid-2003.
The
new spec will be followed by a reference implementation and a technology
compatibility toolkit for compliance testing. The core technologies
are expected to be J2ME, MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.0, as well as the Wireless
Messaging API, Mobile Media API and others.
In
a related story,
Sun also announced the industry's first software test suite tailored
for Java technology enabled-mobile devices.
By
Harry Niedzwiadek
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