Sun and Industry Leaders Announce Initiative to Support Wireless Developers

Motorola, Nokia, Nextel, Openwave, Siemens, Symbian and Sun join in announcing an industry-wide alliance to support the creation of JavaTM technology-based wireless data services and applications

SAN FRANCISCO JavaOneSM Developer Conference -- June 4, 2001 -- In an effort to further fuel the growing worldwide momentum of JavaTM technology in wireless devices, Sun Microsystems announced today collaborative efforts with Motorola, Nokia, Nextel, Openwave, Siemens and Symbian to support wireless developers through a new JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative. Sun will work closely with this industry-wide alliance to bring together complementary resources to developers interested in deploying wireless data services and applications using Java technologies. The worldwide adoption and high-volume deployments of Java technology-enabled handsets by wireless operators has generated tremendous interest in the developer and content community. As of today, developers have already downloaded over 150,000 copies of the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2METM) Reference Implementation. Innovative solutions for wireless devices such as entertainment, location-based services, and enterprise access are being widely developed and deployed today. A recent market research study by Evans Data Corporation, showed that over 33 percent of wireless developers stated their intention to develop for J2ME, the highest response garnered for any wireless platform.

"The new Java Wireless Developer Initiative will provide a centralized support channel for the fast-growing number of Java technology developers worldwide. We have two key objectives for this initiative. The first is to make it easy for developers to learn how to harness the power of Java technology for wireless, and the second is to simplify the process by which developers get their solutions to market with the operators and handset manufacturers," said Curtis Sasaki, director of technology advocacy at Sun Microsystems. "Operators and handset manufacturers are looking for new applications and services that can address additional market segments. This Developer Initiative will streamline the process of bringing new solutions to market as quickly as possible."

Sun and the industry-wide alliance will be working closely to evolve the Developer Initiative based on feedback from the content and developer community. Ultimately, the Developer Initiative will encompass a wide range of application development support, including development tools, white papers, technical training and technical materials. These resources and tools will enable developers to learn, develop, test and deploy wireless applications and services to handsets and devices that include J2ME. Some of the key services will include:

• Online and offline training for developers by Sun and industry experts
• Access to J2ME development tools including ForteTM for Java, Borland JBuilder, J2MEWireless Toolkit, Symbian SDK, Palm OS Emulator, Zucotto's Whiteboard SDK, RIM and Metrowerks CodeWarrior. Developers can freely evaluate the tools and then choose the best ones for them
• Formal and informal support, including global J2ME support programs and discussion forums
• Direct link to partners' developer programs
• Latest news and trends in the wireless industry to keep members up-to-date on the technologies that are available from Sun and other technology providers
• Calendar of key wireless-related events so developers will not miss important opportunities to network and communicate with wireless industry partners
• Interoperability testing support for developers to test their applications across a range of J2ME-enabled devices

This industry-wide initiative in support of wireless developers is another testament to the commitment of Sun and its partners to work together to promote wireless open standards that enable developers to easily create content running across a wide variety of networks and handsets.

More information on the Java Wireless Developer Initiative can be found at http://java.sun.com/wireless.

QUOTE ADDENDUM

"This is an important demonstration of the commitment of Nokia and others throughout the industry to accelerate the development and deployment of wireless Java applications globally", said Lee Wright, director of strategic partnerships and head of Nokia's developer efforts in the Americas. The JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative will connect developers to Java resources from leading companies and will help them stay connected as devices and networks evolve.

"Motorola fully supports the launch of Sun's JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative and is privileged to be one of the key program participants. Java technologies and services are the enabling force to meeting increasing consumer demand for fast, compelling, interactive applications on mobile devices. We believe that both the Sun and Motorola developer programs complement the needs of developers by providing Java technology support as well as support for Motorola products, applications and solutions, respectively," said Yvonne Verse, Motorola vice president and general manager, Carrier Professional Services and Third Party Program.

"Siemens fully supports the launch of Sun's JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative and is privileged to become one of the sponsors of the program. This launch aligns seamlessly with our Wireless-Java worldwide program for developing the Java community. The introduction of Siemens first Wireless JavaTM mobile phone in the near future demonstrates our commitment to bringing products to the market that offer new dimensions in personalization through a variety of Java applications", said Bernhard Geisberger, director partner programs, Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group.

"We're one of the founding sponsors of Sun's JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative because it fully complements Nextel's Developer Program," said Ben Ho, director of Strategic and Partner Marketing and head of Nextel Communications Developer Program. "With more than 7 million business customers, Nextel is the first and only wireless carrier to launch Java technology-enabled handsets in the United States. We're committed to working with developers to create Java applications that take advantage of Nextel's advanced nationwide packet data network."

"Mobile developers want open, standard, WAP- and Java technology-based programs in order to build a wide range of innovative and reliable mobile Internet services.� Openwave welcomes the launch of Sun's JavaSM Wireless Developer Initiative as a key resource for developers interested in creating wireless data services and applications using Java technologies. We look forward to working together to grow and support the large, global community of mobile Internet developers," said Kathy Simpson, director of developer marketing for Openwave.

About Sun Microsystems

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The ComputerTM -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses. With $19.2 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com. 

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