Qualcomm's Brew should froth-up CDMA handsets
Qualcomm's release of an open wireless application platform for software developers has the potential to boost sales of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) handsets this year.
The California-based company has forecast shipping about 90 million CDMA handsets this year. It recently introduced its Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (Brew) platform as a standard application development environment for mass-market CDMA handsets to high-end multipurpose wireless devices.
"We're sticking with that number, but we're also optimistic about the impact that new third-party applications based on Brew will have in generating consumer demand for wireless Internet access services," said senior vice-president for marketing Jeffrey Belk.
"These applications include mobile electronic commerce, games, personal information management, navigation, location-based applications, synchronisation and e-mail microbrowsers.
"End users will be able to download applications over the air through their carrier's network and configure their wireless devices to suit their personal requirements.
"Brew can also reduce handset manufacturers' software development costs because its applications can be put on multiple handset models - even the least expensive mass-market phones."
The Brew software development kit is being offered free to developers, while the applications platform will be released licence-free to device manufacturers, with an eye to pushing more CDMA handsets to market in the shortest possible time.
Qualcomm estimated there would be more than 248 million CDMA subscribers by 2004.
The Brew platform, which sits between a CDMA handset's chip system software and the application, works on cdmaOne cellular phone networks in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Mr Belk said Qualcomm had developed a server software to authenticate Brew-enabled applications.
The company expects to sign agreements with carriers and Qualcomm will charge a Brew enablement fee and receive a portion of the fees end-users pay for Brew applications.
"We are in active discussions with major CDMA carriers worldwide," Mr Belk said, adding that he did not know if there had been specific talks with CDMA operator Hutchison Telecom in Hong Kong and the mainland's second national carrier, China Unicom.
Brew-enabled applications and services should become available in the third quarter, led by carriers KDDI, in Japan, and Verizon Wireless, the largest cellular communications operator in the US.
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