Sun Launches JavaFX Mobile

Sun Microsystems has announced the availability of the JavaFX Mobile platform, which enables the Java wireless ecosystem to create solutions that leverage the Java Platform Micro Edition (Java ME).

Param Singh, senior director of Java marketing at Sun, said what differentiates JavaFX on mobile devices is that JavaFX Mobile delivers rich content and services across the broadest range of mobile devices – from mass market feature phones to smart phones.

Meanwhile, Sun also announced that several leading handset manufacturers, service providers and independent software vendors (ISVs) are working with Sun to ship JavaFX Mobile handsets. Developers and partners can start building JavaFX applications for mobile and desktop today by downloading the JavaFX SDK, which includes a complete JavaFX Mobile Emulator at: http://www.javafx.com.

Singh said Sun will be premiering JavaFX Mobile at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, from Febr. 16-19.

JavaFX Mobile helps companies across the mobile industry to quickly and easily deliver innovative, new products to market, Singh said. Service providers can use JavaFX Mobile to deliver the expressive content and services that  can improve average revenue per user (ARPU) and end-user satisfaction; JavaFX Mobile allows device manufacturers to offer richer, more immersive applications to help differentiate their devices and ISVs benefit from the pervasiveness of the Java platform to help deploy their content across broad range of wireless devices, Sun officials said.

"We're seeing more and more Rich Internet Application [RIA] developers and also mobile and game vendors looking at the platform," Singh said.

In addition, Sun is shipping an update of the JavaFX software development kit (SDK) and adding a mobile emulator and production suite, Singh said. Moreover, Sun partners can deliver the JavaFX runtime either embedded in devices or made available over the air, he said. Partners supporting JavaFX Mobile come in different categories and include Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, carriers like Orange and Sprint, and some ISVs, Singh said.

Rikko Sakaguchi, corporate vice president and head of creation and development at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, said, "We see JavaFX as a natural fit to our mobile software platform strategy to enable developers, both in-house and in our ecosystem, to create superior, innovative, expressive mobile applications and services. Sony Ericsson expects that JavaFX will have a great impact on the mobile content ecosystem and plan to bring JavaFX to a significant part of our product portfolio.”

Mathew Oommen, vice president of device and technology development at Sprint, said, “Sprint, in its continued support of an open framework and ecosystem, views JavaFX as an additional strategic platform in its open toolkit. JavaFX enables Sprint to further leverage the developer and designer community towards offering its customers a broader and richer experience,"

Meanwhile, Jeet Kaul, senior vice president of the Client Software Group at Sun, said: "JavaFX provides new functionality for easily creating more immersive applications that seamlessly integrate content, media and data across device platforms. By delivering JavaFX Mobile on top of the wireless Java platform, Sun is now bringing expressiveness to the most pervasive and powerful platform in the mobile industry.” 

The Java platform is supported by global mobile operators and device manufacturers, is available on more than 2.6 billion mobile phones and is supported by 6.5 million software developers, making it the strongest mobile platform in the industry. Built on top of a consistent Java ME platform implementation, JavaFX Mobile allows companies to create immersive mobile content, while leveraging their existing investment in the Java platform, Sun officials said.  Developers can use JavaFX Mobile to easily extend their current Java ME mobile applications, games and solutions with expressive features and functionality. In addition, JavaFX developers have access to Java ME's mature and highly proven security model and phone specific capabilities, such as address book, Bluetooth, camera, location services, and more, the company said.