Sun Microsystems Inc. is working to address many of the complaints and concerns leveled at the company’s wireless Java technology with a series of new products, services and programs introduced at the ITU Telecom World 2003 conference.
Sun’s new offerings are an effort to unify and harmonize the use of Java 2 Micro Edition technology in the wireless industry. Such technology allows mobile-phone users to download applications and run them on their handsets.
Those in the industry have long complained of the fractured nature of Java in wireless and some blame Java creator Sun for its lack of leadership. Many point to Qualcomm Inc.’s BREW service as a more stable, complete offering. However, BREW is under the sole control of Qualcomm, while Java is a more open technology.
Sun’s new Java offerings include a content delivery server for sale to carriers and a device test suite, which will allow developers to ensure their applications work over handsets from different companies. Sun also released its new iForce infrastructure products for network operators, offerings the company said would allow carriers to integrate their communications, billing and provisioning services. Sun’s moves also coincide with a new push for the Java brand as well as a new Internet site for users, Java.com.
Juan Dewar, Sun’s senior director of marketing, said Sun is working to flesh out its Java strategy. “We are responding to the market, and we’re trying to be proactive,” he said.
Interestingly, Sun also signed a new deal with China Unicom that highlights the fractured nature of the Java market. The companies are promoting China Unicom’s new Java platform, dubbed UniJa. The platform is based on the standard wireless iteration of Java, but features several modifications specific to China Unicom. This will require developers to modify their existing Java applications to make full use of China Unicom’s Java platform.
“That’s something that we don’t stop or discourage, but we try to get involved,” Sun’s Dewar said.
The world’s phone makers have shipped more than 120 million Java-capable phones, and 70 carriers have launched Java services.
