Ericsson Telephone has announced that it will license Sun Microsystems' PersonalJava language and Java Application Environment for use in its next-generation mobile phones and communication systems.
The telecommunications equipment manufacturer plans to use PersonalJava -- a small-footprint version of the Java language for non-PC information devices such as phones and pagers -- to enhance the functionality of its upcoming Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) mobile phones and systems, officials said. Ericsson's upcoming W-CDMA products will let users transfer data and multimedia services via wireless networks using special handsets.
Ericsson is not the first company to license Java for use in mobile phones. Northern Telecom (Nortel), Motorola, and others have already jumped on the Java-licensing bandwagon and are integrating the language into mobile communications products. Nortel is releasing a Java-based mobile phone offering Internet access and specialized content later this year.
Ericsson did not say how exactly it plans to implement PersonalJava or when users can expect phones with Java support. However, last week at the CeBIT trade show in Hanover, Germany, Ericsson did unveil part of its plan in the mobile data communications arena.
Ericsson is investing heavily in developing new products for the mobile data communications market -- an area of high growth in Europe and around the world, CEO Lars Ramqvist said. Specifically, Ericsson has begun trials of W-CDMA services with NTT DoCoMo, a wireless telecommunications operator in Japan, he added.
W-CDMA and Europe's forthcoming universal mobile telecommunications system standard will allow mobile operators to offer video, high-speed data communications, and Internet access via wireless networks, Ramqvist said.
"Video [mobile] telephones are nearby," Ramqvist said. The combination of mobile communications with the Internet and multimedia is one of the hottest markets for mobile operators and equipment makers today, he added.
Ericsson also demonstrated several mobile computing and messaging devices aimed at allowing people to receive data on the go.
The Infowear ConceptOne wrist messaging device can receive e-mail and short message service messages and can also beep to remind the wearer of appointments, according to Ericsson officials.
For people who want to be constantly plugged into their e-mail, Ericsson is developing the Pocket E-Mail Reader, a device that connects to a mobile phone in order to receive e-mail messages. The screen has a small optical lens that magnifies the text of the e-mail messages to make them appear in full-size fonts, according to company officials.
Ericsson did not disclose pricing or availability of its new products.
Ericsson Telephone, a subsidiary of LM Ericsson AB in Stockholm, Sweden, can be reached at ericsson.com.
Kristi Essick is a London correspondent for the IDG News Service, an InfoWorld affiliate. |
