SAN FRANCISCO—The world’s two largest phone manufacturers are hoping to give Java developers a push with separate initiatives.
Motorola Inc. is embracing open-sourcing with the launch of an Internet site offering code contributions, open-source projects and other information for developers. The site, www.opensource.motorola.com, is affiliated with Motorola’s Motodev program and is targeted at developers working with Linux, Java and other platforms.
“The foundation of any open-source community is based on the supported exchange of information and ideas,” said Mark VandenBrink, senior director and chief platform architect for Motorola Mobile Devices. “By making code freely available… Motorola hopes to accelerate that exchange and contribute to the open mobile development effort by providing a catalyst for greater mobile adoption.”
The move comes amid news that Sun Microsystems Inc. will make Java programming available as open-source software in an effort to lift declining revenues. The company recently reported a quarterly loss of $217 million, up dramatically from a loss of $28 million in the year-ago period.
Jonathan Schwartz, who took over as Sun’s chief executive officer three weeks ago, told developers at the JavaOne conference that he hoped to boost the number of Java developers and programs with the move toward open source. Schwartz declined to provide a timeline for such a move, however.
Meanwhile, Nokia Corp. announced the availability of new Java technology for handsets. The technology, introduced in the Java Community Process, is designed to allow developers to build applications and services that can be updated as wireless technologies evolve.
“Developers will be able to leverage service-oriented architecture in their application development to utilize plug-and-play components that can be installed or managed as needed on the handset,” said Paul Reddick, vice president of business development and product innovation for Sprint Nextel Corp.
