Sony Ericsson announces new Java Platform 8

Sony Ericsson announced its first mobile phone to support Mobile Services Architecture (MSA), the next-generation Java™ umbrella standard (JSR-248). The Z750 clamshell phone is the first phone based on Sony Ericsson’s Java Platform 8 (JP-8), supporting a range of new Java programming features including instant messaging / chat and presence based functionality, handling banking, payment transactions, user identification and authentication through secure encryption technology, mapping and other location-aware applications.

The new MSA umbrella standard (JSR-248) aims to reduce fragmentation for the Java community in two ways. Firstly, MSA defines a clear set of component Java Specification Requests (JSR’s) that must be supported (mandatory JSR’s) on next-generation mobile phones. Secondly, MSA gives less room for interpretation in the implementation of the JSR’s by clarifying the conditions for interaction between them and for optional JSR’s.

The new mandatory application programming interfaces (API's) supported through MSA include 3D graphics, personal information management, Bluetooth™, Scalable Vector Graphics, web services, location services and payment services for Java ME (Micro Edition). Sony Ericsson has supported several of these API’s in its earlier Java Platform versions but with MSA there is finally industry alignment and a clear set of expectations on the implementation of these JSR’s. With MSA, the mass-market mobile phone becomes an increasingly capable platform for enterprise development and it will be possible to ensure secure data storage and communication and create new innovative applications, for example SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) maps.

“With the introduction of MSA, the next-generation Java standard, in our portfolio we hope to continue our proud tradition of delivering consistency, quality and market-leading performance across our range of Java technology enabled phones – for the benefit of our operator customers, third party Java developers and consumers alike,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, SVP and Head of Portfolio & Platform Planning at Sony Ericsson.

MSA reduces variations in the platform environment and creates a predictable environment for application developers, reducing porting issues when creating new applications and games for mass-market feature-rich phones.

New for Sony Ericsson Java Platform 8 for mass-market feature phones are the following API's:

MSA umbrella standard JSR-248 :

- Security & Trust Services API (JSR-177)
- Location API (JSR-179)
- SIP API for Java ME (JSR-180)
- Mobile 3D Graphics API (JSR-184) updated to version 1.1 from previous
- Java Platform versions
- Content Handler API (JSR-211)
- Scalable 2D Vector Graphics API for Java ME (JSR-226)
- Payment API (JSR-229)
- Mobile Internationalization API (JSR-238)

Sony Ericsson additions; not mandated in MSA :

- Java Binding for the OpenGL® ES API (JSR-239)
- Mobile Sensor API (JSR 256) for accelerometer applications

The Z750 is the first Sony Ericsson phone supporting High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), delivering data at speeds comparable to or better than fixed-line broadband access systems. Users will have exceptional quality for video streaming, 3D gaming and rapid access to Web browsing and other online services. The Z750 phone also has a 2 Megapixel camera and integrated blogging features. See separate announcement today for further product details.

27.03.2007. 14:21