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Java Applets by Phone

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London, August 9, 2001: The device formerly known as a phone changed significantly today. Owners of the new Motorola Accompli 008 can now access a growing library of applications, known as ‘midlets’ and download these directly ‘over-the-air’ to their devices: no wires, no PC, no hassle. midletcentral.com [www.midletcentral.com] is managed by Digimob Ltd, and is the first independent commercial download site specifically designed for the new breed of mobile device that supports Java.

First for end users

“When you bought a phone in the past, the functionality available out of the box was all you got”, says Dominic Strowbridge, Director of Developer Support at Motorola. “The Motorola Accompli 008 is the first of a new type of GSM device that allows the end user to add functionality, like games, utilities, browsers and business applications, directly ‘over-the-air’ to the device. The ability to grow or customise a device’s capabilities is something we take for granted on our computers and PDAs, even though it can be complicated to get right. We are delighted to be working with Digimob to be the first to bring this feature to GSM users in a simple and easy to use service.”

Motorola Accompli 008 users can access midletcentral.com directly from their devices and scan the list of midlets available for download. Freeware can be downloaded immediately and premium applications will be available for download after an initial registration and purchase of the relevant number of tokens with a credit card. End users can be assured that the premium midlets will be of a superior quality as they will be certified by Motorola’s developer support organization, MAGNET, in association with The NCC Group, their certification partner.

First for developers

“Digimob’s midletcentral repository of J2MEd applications will allow users in various geographies to receive personalized, interactive services on demand” said Eric Chu, Wireless Marketing Group Manager, Sun Microsystems. “Sun applauds the efforts of the Javad technology developer community for their collective effort and ongoing contribution to midletcentral.com.”

What is a ‘midlet’?

MIDlet stands for Mobile Information Device Application (or Applet). Users can download and run software authored in J2ME MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) just as they would software for their PC, opening up a new world of totally configurable, cross-platform applications.

Java is the programming language of choice for developers who want to create compelling applications for mobile subscribers. The Motorola Accompli 008 is the first GSM device compliant with the J2MEd MIDP1.0 specification, but within the next 18 months most new mobile devices will boast Javad capability, regardless of the operating system they use.

Midletcentral.com also provides developers with the solution to their most common barrier to the mobile industry — a business case! Developers who certify their midlets through MAGNET will be able to post their applications in the premium section of the site and collect a license fee for each download. To stimulate creativity and diversity, Digimob will pass the majority of revenue generated by midletcentral.com directly back to the developer.

Developer support for Java is available through MAGNET, including toolkits, technical training, sample devices, test labs and certification, via their website at www.motorola.com/ukmagnet.

First for network operators

“Network operators are constantly looking for compelling applications that will increase both customer loyalty and network revenues, but their recent experiences with WAP and 3G licensing have made them more cautious to make new investments”, says Dr. Janko Mrsic-Flogel, Technical Director at Digimob Limited. “midletcentral.com ensures network operators can participate in a new value chain, by giving them revenue from each ‘over-the-air’ midlet download, and a risk free reference point for them to use when introducing their own Java based services in the future.”

Midletcentral.com is run on Digimob’s highly flexible and scaleable Java provisioning platform ‘Curator’, which allows dynamic provisioning and over-the-air download of multilingual and device independent Wireless Javad applications.

About Digimob

At the forefront of mobile Internet technology, Digimob’s team of technologists offer a proven track record of innovative solutions and products that spans messaging, data communication, browsers and gateways, as well as mobile and embedded software design. Digimob offers solution for Wireless Java Application Provisioning and Download as well as the www.midletcentral.com Wireless Java Internet application repository. Additional information about Digimob is available at www.digimob.com.
Midletcentral.com is a trade mark of Digimob Ltd.

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Java and J2ME are trade marks of Sun Microsystems Inc. MOTOROLA, the Stylized M Logo are trademarks of Motorola, Inc. b Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. All other product or service names are the property of their trademark owner respective owners.

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