Articles

In a move to bring higher performing, longer lasting mobile applications to the next generation of wireless Internet appliances, Texas Instruments (TI; Dallas) Inc. will port Sun Microsystems' Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) onto its Open Multimedia Application Platform. This expands the adoption of TI's high-performance, ultra-low power OMAP architecture by providing Java software developers the ability to deliver Java technology-based wireless applications with as much as three times the performance of competing solutions.

"Communications-centric, 2.5 and 3G wireless applications will require mobile systems that deliver enhanced performance and battery life, while flexible enough for manufacturers and applications developers to support a wide range of wireless Internet appliances. TI's DSP-based OMAP platform, combined with Java technology, offers a compelling choice for applications developers in this space," said Gilles Delfassy, vice president, TI Worldwide Wireless Communications Unit. "Sun's support of TI's OMAP architecture for 2.5 and 3G, is a tremendous endorsement for both the OMAP architecture and for the long-standing and successful relationship between the two companies."

As part of the effort, OMAP developers and manufacturers will benefit from having J2ME support, tools, and APIs provide easy access to TI's DSP-based technology. Unveiled last year, TI's programmable DSP-based OMAP architecture delivers the high performance and power efficiency required for communications-centric 2.5 and 3G multimedia applications. The OMAP architecture supports all 2G, 2.5G and 3G wireless standards and is software code compatible with TI's DSP-based digital baseband, used today in more the 60% of today's digital wireless handsets. OMAP is fast becoming the de facto standard applications platform for 2.5 and 3G with public endorsements by Nokia, Ericsson, Sony, and Handspring for their next-generation wireless handsets and advanced mobile computing devices.

The industry-defined J2ME and mobile information device (MID) profile enhances the overall consumer experience by enabling dynamic, personalized interactive services for wireless devices. Created by more than twenty companies through the Java Community Process (JCP), the availability of the MID profile demonstrates how the wireless industry can collaborate to develop open, standards-based technologies that will enable practical and entertaining mobile interactive services.

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online