Sun Microsystems, creator and leading advocate for Java technology, announced recently that Java technology-enabled mobile handsets surpassed the 120 million mark in number of units shipped worldwide.
Factors contributing to achieving this milestone include the availability of more than 200 different Java technology-enabled handsets through more than 70 carriers worldwide, a growth of 35 percent since June.
Building on this momentum, Sun recently formed an alliance with China Unicom, and ZRRT, a leading service provider in China, to further develop and promote Java technology-based wireless applications and services under the brand name "UniJa" in one of the world's largest mobile handset markets. Additionally, TCL Mobile Communications, a leading mobile handset manufacturer in China, has licensed Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (TM) (J2ME(TM) Platform) technology to provide an open, secure, standards-based platform for the development of new Java applications.
"We are pleased to be working with Sun to capitalize on the alliance advantages of Java technology, which will enable us to accelerate the development and delivery of wireless content to our subscribers," said Lu Jianguo, vice president of the China Unicom Group. "Sun's experience and leadership in the mobile market will help open new revenue channels and increase subscriber growth through the introduction and delivery of new Java applications and services."
"Java has emerged as the common language of the wireless applications world," said Wang Jiyang, deputy CTO of TCL Mobile Communications. "By licensing Java technology from Sun, TCL will be able to provide an open, secure, standards-based platform for millions of Java developers to unleash their creativity through the delivery of new Java applications to the China market. New Java handsets from TCL will be available by December 2003."
The China Unicom/ZRRT/Sun alliance was formed to create a comprehensive value chain platform for jointly developing Java technology-based services on Unicom's CDMA 1x network. It is estimated that initially more than 1.5 million CDMA subscribers will benefit from the new "UniJa" services. Sun will provide the products, programs and technologies to help ZRRT manage the Java technology-based mobile content ecosystem for China Unicom.
In addition to the availability of new Java applications and services through China Unicom's UniJa brand, mobile phone users in China will soon gain access to new Java technology-enabled handsets through a licensing agreement with TCL Mobile. Currently more than 27 of the world's leading wireless device manufacturers already ship Java technology-enabled devices. These manufacturers include Casio, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Coyer, LG Electronics, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Matsushita, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Mitsubishi Electric, RIM, and Toshiba.
"We are really excited to have hit such a significant shipping milestone of 120 million mobile devices with Java technology," said Alan Brenner, vice president, Consumer and Mobile Systems Group of Sun. "In this highly competitive wireless market, this achievement, the introduction of new products and services, and the announcement of new customer deployments, demonstrate Sun's continued commitment to meet and exceed the needs of operators, content developers, device manufacturers, and consumers."
In addition to its success in the mobile Java consumer market, Sun has completed Java distribution deals with leading PC vendors that represent nearly 50 percent of the shipping volume of desktops worldwide. Apple, Gateway, HP, Samsung, Toshiba, and Tsinghua Tongfang have all stated they will ship the most current and compatible version of Java from Sun. Sun also announced the availability of the Sun(TM) Content Delivery Server, the Java(TM) Device Test Suite and the new Java Mobility Advantage Program (TM) to help carriers, OEMs and developers reduce the cost and complexity of developing, managing and deploying mobile content.
