Two software vendors announced a new partnership that pairs an
embedded Linux distribution with a Java solution for next-generation
mobile phones.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based MontaVista Software said it will use
Esmertec’s Jbed Advanced multitasking J2ME-platform atop its MontaVista
Linux Consumer Electronics Edition (CEE). The two companies plan on
marketing the combination to mobile handset and wireless semiconductor
vendors like Motorola , Panasonic and NEC
.
The timing may be right for a new range of Linux-Java enhanced
handsets. Sales of mobile telephones grew sharply in the fourth quarter of 2004
to 200 million units, according to research group Strategy Analytics.
The report also forecast sales of 735 million units in
2005 fueled by replacement in developed markets and strong net
subscriber growth in developing regions.
While phones that use both Java and Linux are nothing new, MontaVista
said Switzerland-based Esmertec makes a good partner because it
supplies a wireless Java (J2ME) product and object-oriented software
platform (OSVM).
The combination, according to Peder Ulander, vice president of
marketing at MontaVista, helps device manufacturers, operators and
application providers to, “further accelerate market growth for consumer
multimedia services.”
“We are excited that Esmertec has selected MontaVista’s Linux as a
reference operating system for Jbed Advanced. Together, we will provide
a fully open, standards-based mobile software platform for the wireless
industry,” Ulander said in a statement.
MontaVista has bundled its Linux distribution with a Java mobile
environment before, most notably with Motorola, whose strategy is to
combine the operating system and the run-time environment, as in its A760, A768, A780 and E680 handsets.
Esmertec said MontaVista’s CEE is a good fit for consumer electronics
devices, including mobile phones, because it includes power management
and networking support, while supporting XIP (eXecute In Place) of the
kernel and applications, as well as streaming media optimizations.
“The integration of MontaVista’s premier embedded Linux operating
system and Esmertec’s high-performance Java platforms provides a
scalable solution, that delivers highly customizable features and rich
user experiences,” said Christophe Francois, senior vice president of strategic marketing for Esmertec.
Esmertec has had its own successes with its Java products. The
company inked a deal with semiconductor design house Arm
in November 2004 to optimize Java application performance in
wireless and embedded devices.
That deal put Esmertec’s Jbed CLDC
clamshell design.