Nokia to Expand Java in Mobile Phones

Nokia strengthened its commitment to the Java platform on its Series 60 phones, announcing at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco that it would include an enhanced configuration in capable phones. This means that developers will be able to build applications for the platform that will run across all Series 60 devices.

Series 60 is Nokia's version of the Symbian OS, which is the worlds most widely used smartphone operating system. Several leading mobile phone manufacturers including LG, Samsung, Sendo, and Siemens are Series 60 licensees. According to Nokia, the company sold 25 million devices equipped with the OS as of the end of last month.

The new devices will use something called a Connected Device Configuration (CDC). CDC allows modular deployment of features added through the technology. This means phone manufacturers would be able to add new features after a handset is in the consumer's hands through a download onto the device.

"By facilitating wider interoperability and compatibility, the next generation Java platform for Series 60 will enable a greater choice of dynamic Java applications and improved service quality for both mobile consumer and enterprise users, creating demand for more service and device-management middleware from Java developers," vice president of Forum Nokia Lee Epting said in a statement.

Adding in CDC to the Java platform on Series 60 phones is a "cornerstone" of an effort by Nokia to bring Java to the forefront as a mobile technology, the company says. Future implementations of Java will all be standards based in new Java-enabled Nokia devices.