Motorola says it wants to encourage greater unification of Java technology within the mobile phone industry.
To take a lead the company will open source its Java test framework and sample test cases and will develop the reference implementation and compliance tests for Motorola-lead JSRs such as the Mobile Information Device Profiles (MIDP) 3.0 specification.
According to the mobile phone firm, the aim is to “create a more common, open environment for mobile Java platforms through an open source project”.
The move is a clear recognition of the mobile industry’s momentum behind Java, which will result in lower overall development costs and an increase Java application interoperability.
“Motorola believes that by eliminating some of the fragmentation hurdles Java currently faces we can help evolve the wireless Java ecosystem and make Java even more accessible, more compatible and easier to use,” said Mark VandenBrink, senior director and chief platform architect for Motorola Mobile Devices.
Motorola is no stranger to Java and open standards. In 2003, it incorporated Linux+Java technologies in the A760 handset.
The initial test framework and sample test cases can be found here and are freely available to operators, developers and manufacturers. MIDP3 will be available shortly. By making available Java test frameworks and test cases via an open source channel, the company hopes to encourage the development of a broader mobile and software Java ecosystem, capable of delivering applications with truly "write once, run everywhere" implementation capabilities.