KDDI Unveils Plans for Java-Compatible Mobile Phone Service
April 13, 2001 (TOKYO) -- Following similar announcements from NTT DoCoMo Inc.
and the J-Phone Group, telecom operator KDDI Corp. has revealed an outline of its
strategy to introduce Java-capable mobile phones.
The company says that a Java service for its au phones is scheduled to begin in June.
The basic specifications of KDDI's cell phone service, served under the brand name of
au, will feature the same connected limited device configuration (CLDC) and mobile
information device profile (MIDP) standard specifications that J-Phone has opted to
use. In addition, KDDI's Java specification uses its own original application program
interface (API), called KDDI-P. Java applications developed to conform to the CLDC
and MIDP specs will basically be able to run on both J-Phone's and KDDI's handsets.
KDDI's adoption of Aplix Corp.'s JBlend as the choice of Java virtual machine (Java
VM) also follows J-Phone's lead. Every au cell phones will be equipped with the same
version of Java to minimize the differences of performance over the same Java
applications run on different models of handset.
The maximum size of Java applications for the new KDDI service is to be 50KB
(compressed), which is considerably larger than the 10KB limit for NTT DoCoMo's
service and the 30KB for J-Phone's.
The inclusion of KDDI's original API will make it possible for a new version of C-Mail
service, which enables users to chat online, to be operated in a Java environment, and
will also enable phones to be equipped with the Jumon agent program developed by
Omron Corp. It will also allow users to do tasks such as checking the remaining battery
life, or even the electric field strength of their phones using Java applications.
Moreover, KDDI will offer application developers with choices of two different security
levels, high and normal, for applications. Applications with higher security level can use
private data, such as that related to address books or position-locating data (based on
the closest antenna base station), or the user's own name, phone number and e-mail
address.
Those applications will be authorized by KDDI for security purpose and stored only on
its servers for users to download.
In the fall, KDDI's "Phase Two" of the service will be launched. It will feature a more
highly accurate position-locating system called gpsOne as well as a next-generation
browser (compatible with the next-generation of Wireless Application Protocol
technology).
On the matter of the inclusion of U.S.-based Qualcomm Inc.'s BREW in the service, an
official of KDDI's au Business Division said that business discussions between the
companies are ongoing.
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