Mobile Computing
& Wireless Application Development
- J2ME -
Wireless application development
has the following characteristics:
-
multi-platform and
multi-device support, since no single device can serve entire organization's
needs
-
multi-RF network support
-
multi-backend application
and database support
-
integration with web
application server platforms
While several different device
platforms are being promoted by major device vendors, such as PalmOS, Microsoft
Windows CE, PocketPC and Sambian's EPOC, Motorola and Lutris Technologies (a
Santa Cruz, California company) have teamed up to offer Java-based
development platform for iDEN handsets. They duo have decided to bundle
Lutris' open-source Enhydra application server with Motorola's SDK for iDEN.
With this set of Enhydra and J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition), programmers can
develop both server-side and client-side software that takes advantage of
Sun's J2ME specifications. iDEN handset that transmits both voice and data,
will be available in mid 2001.
Enthusiasts for J2ME point out
that J2ME is more open than WAP, because you may choose not to utilize a
micro-browser for J2ME applications.
Competing Products or
Development Environments
Why Wireless Application
Development Needs Java? - A
justification paper from Sun
Status of Enhancements to J2M
- New Mobile Information Device profiles (MIDP) of J2ME for PDAs (PDA
profile) and smart phones are coming out in mid 2002. Features like
multicasting, SSL (security) and multi-media. New features
J2ME Application Developers in
News - Do a keyword search on this page; also go to the Sun site.
Resources & Vendor
Products
-
Motorola's
J2ME Development kit as explained above
-
LogicChain
releases the first J2ME client/server application -a Poker Game to be
played on Blackberry and i3000 Motorola phone - it demonstrates the
power of J2ME.
-
Zucotta
has developed a WhiteBoard SDK based on J2ME for Internet appliance
market. See MobileInfo
newsflash for this.
-
Borland's
JBuilder - Motorola has also entered into partnership with Borland® to provide its
JBuilder™ 4 Foundation development environment as part of the Motorola
iDEN® Subscriber Groups developers’ toolkit. For
more, go to news item.
-
Borland's
JBuilder Set for Nokia - Nokia has entered into a similar agreement
with Borland to extend JBuilder for Nokia smart phones.
-
J2ME
Development Tool kit for Blackberry - RIM has announced that it has
implemented J2ME as the core OS for Blackberry. It has ported Blackberry
applications to work on J2ME.
-
agentGo
- has developed eight enterprise applications based on J2ME
-
Plazmic
In. - Plazmic enables the creation of visually rich multimedia
mobile device applications for Java-enabled phones and handheld devices
-
Also do keyword
search on our home page for more J2ME-related news on MobileInfo
website
-
Go to Application
Development pages in Product
Directory and Vendor
directory.
MobileInfo Advisory:
We said in December 2000 that it was still too early to determine larger potential of widespread
adoption of J2ME for wireless applications beyond Motorola's iDEN
network applications. We also said that in the long run, we expect J2ME to get wider network
and device support. Now in early, 2002, J2ME has succeeded in
garnering excellent support across all groups - hardware developers, phone
manufacturers and enterprise developers. However, It is important to
understand the role of J2ME - it is useful primarily for developing packaged applications and device drivers
for smart phones and PDAs by those application developers who are targeting
these applications for carriers. For enterprise vertical applications,
business application developers should continue to utilize higher-level tools
like those available from IBM, Sun (J2EE), BEA, Oracle, Sybase iAnywhere, Microsoft, @Hand,
etc.. The latter category of tools will continue to have superior backend
integration. They can develop client application pieces in J2ME and then
integrate these with backend applications.
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