Sun and TI team up for mobile Java

Sun Microsystems and Texas Instruments (TI) have announced that they will work together to develop mobile wireless technology for 2.5G and 3G networks.

The partnership, due to kick off in the second quarter of 2004, aims to help mobile device manufacturers and wireless operators reduce the cost of deploying mobile data services, and so increase demand for converged voice and multimedia wireless devices.

The development of end-to-end Java systems and optimised Java technology for TI's TCS wireless chip sets and OMAP applications processors will, the companies promised, create revenue-generating opportunities for original equipment manufacturers, wireless operators and applications developers.

As part of this collaboration, TI will license Sun's Connected Limited Device Configuration HotSpot Implementation (CLDC HI) for integration into its TCS chipsets for handsets and wireless OMAP applications processors in an effort to reduce the complexity of Java technology-enabled handset production.

TI said it expects to offer complete GPRS chipsets and handset reference designs, including Sun's CLDC HI, by the second quarter of 2004.

Sun and TI will also co-develop an optimised implementation of Mobile Information Device Profile 2.0 (MIDP 2.0) on TI's TCS wireless chipsets and OMAP processors. The resulting implementation of MIDP 2.0 that interoperates with CLDC HI on TI's OMAP platform is expected to be available from Sun by the second quarter of 2004.

The two companies plan to validate the Java implementation on the OMAP platform with Sun's Content Delivery Server.