WebSphere Goes Wireless in Qualcomm BREW

Big Blue’s WebSphere Web Services platform has racked up another client win,
the latest being a deal with Qualcomm Inc. to extend the
open-source initiative to wireless devices.

The Armonk, N.Y-based IBM said it would extend its
WebSphere infrastructure software via Qualcomm’s BREW platform, effectively
opening WebSphere to millions of wireless devices worldwide.

Additionally, the company’s WebSphere Studio Device Developer, which creates,
tests and deploys e-business applications, would include a BREW plug-in.

The expansion of the IBM platform clears the way for a service that allows
e-business on BREW-enabled phones using Java technology. The BREW (Binary
Runtime Environment for Wireless) platform offers wireless service providers
a tool for enterprise e-business and consumer applications on wireless
devices.

IBM’s WebSphere, which is competing with Microsoft’s Visual Studio.Net and
Sun Microsystems’ Sun ONE Web Services initiatives, said the deal would
allow wireless carriers to offer subscribers new services based on
WebSphere’s open standards and the BREW platform, without the cumbersome
customer inputs previously required.

For example, a technician using a BREW-enabled device could view video on
their cell phone, dispensing instructions on how to remove a part from a
photocopier. Then, any replacement parts could be ordered and confirmed –
over the air, directly from the phone.

In addition to the WebSphere Micro Environment extension to the BREW
platform, IBM said developers would have access to WebSphere Studio Device
Developer, which is built on the Eclipse
open source platform for tools integration.

“Qualcomm is working with IBM, using Eclipse technology, to provide a BREW
development plug-in for WebSphere Studio Device Developer. This will enable
BREW developers using C/C++ or Java to use one open development environment,
making it faster and easier to integrate application development,” the
company said.