Wireless Java's Rich Future

Move over Microsoft and Starbucks. Last year, the duo teamed up with MobileStar to give caffeine-addicted techies their half-caff-triple-lattes and wireless e-mail, all on the same binge. Now watch for a different kind of wireless java.

NTT DoCoMo introduced Java-enabled phones in January. Closer to home, Motorola's Java-enabled handsets are expected in the first half of 2001 through iDEN network carriers Nextel, Southern Linc and Telus Mobility/Clearnet in Canada.

Last fall, a consortium of 20 wireless companies announced the completion of the Mobile Information Device (MID) profile. Based on the Java 2 Platform Micro Edition (J2ME), the MID profile will enable graphical interactive services for wireless devices, including personalized stock quotes, location-specific traffic, and weather reports and games that can be downloaded and played offline by users.

Eric Chu, Sun Microsystems software system group marketing manager, said the MID profile and J2ME technology represent a “quantum leap” for wireless data services.

“The type of technology that people have been using in the past for data services is equivalent to DOS,” Chu explained. “What we've done is provide a full graphical environment to the handset, similar to what Apple Macintosh did when they first came out in 1984. (Java) enables people to go from static, text-based information to a full graphic environment that allows them to have more engaging types of entertainment services.”

At least one company, UIEvolution, has announced that it's developing games based on J2ME for wireless handsets and other devices. The games — including multi-player chess, hangman and Space Invaders — should be on Motorola phones by mid-year.

In addition, Digital Mobility recently launched a Web site, midletcentral.com, which bills itself as “the first wireless Java café.” The site allows registered users to download Java applications. It currently offers games and business and personal applications.

Some have talked about Java as competition for WAP. But Chu and others say this isn't the case. Although WAP enables wireless-Web access, Java will take wireless data a step further, enabling interactive gaming, offline operation of applications and the ability to securely download new applications to handsets.

“Many of the handset manufacturers and operators are saying now that they've got WAP introduced in their network, they want to take the next step,” Chu said. “They also want to integrate Java capabilities into their handsets and into the network so they can expand to other types of services. Java will coexist with WAP. You can build a WAP browser using Java. You cannot build a Java environment using WAP. What we think might happen in the future is that people might decide to build a WAP browser on top of the Java environment.”

NTT DoCoMo's Java-enabled Digital Mova 503i handset can run animated games, chat software, stock programs and groupware applications for business customers. Users can download and store a variety of these applications via the i-mode network. Although wireless carriers in Asia will be first in deploying J2ME-enabled handsets, Chu said a few U.S. carriers are leading the pack, including Nextel and Sprint PCS.

Greg Santoro, Nextel vice president of Internet and wireless services, confirmed Nextel's release of Java-enabled handsets this year.

“With Java, you have the ability to actually store programs on the phone,” Santoro said. “The kind of user experience, the type of apps you can build and the number of things you can do goes up dramatically. There's been an incredible amount of excitement from the developer community about those new phones.

“You have the ability to take a program in a language that people are familiar with and write apps that work well in the phone and also are network aware.”