LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.—Motorola Inc. said it plans to develop a Java Micro Edition software stack using the Apache License Version 2.0. The company said the move would help unify the fractured market for Java software in cell phones.
As part of the announcement, Motorola said it would align its future Java ME-based development with Apache’s model of licensing and open governance. Apache Software Foundation offers open-source software, which means that users and developers don’t have to pay royalties on the software.
“We see industry fragmentation and proprietary software models as an obstacle to unharnessing the full power of innovation in the mobile Java ecosystem,” said Mark VandenBrink, senior director and chief platform architect for Motorola’s Mobile Devices business. “We believe developers, customers, partners and the industry at large will benefit from a new open source model.”
Motorola has long been using Java software in its handsets. The company released its first Java-capable phone in 2001. Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless L.L.C., T-Mobile USA Inc. and other carriers support Java-capable handsets.
