Press Releases
05.08.2001
Aplix Corporation and Microsoft Japan Expand Partnership for Embedded Java Solutionsto Develop "microJBlend for Windows CE" as a Java Solution Supporting i-Appli and MIDP
Tokyo, Japan - May 8, 2001 -
Aplix Corporation (head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Ryu Koriyama) and Microsoft Co., Ltd. (main offices: Shibuya, Tokyo; representative director: Shinichi Ata) used the occasion of the Microsoft Windows Embedded Developers Conference 2001, on May 8 in Tokyo's Toyocho, to announce a strengthening of their existing partnership for provision of solutions based on Java for embedded systems. Under the agreement, Aplix Corporation will incorporate support for Microsoft Windows CE, the Microsoft embedded systems development platform, in the Aplix Corporation-developed microJBlend, a CLDC-based Java execution environment supporting i-Appli and MIDP. Tentatively to be called microJBlend for Windows CE, the new product will be aiming for a significant market share in the field of PDAs, small Internet terminals and other compact information devices. The first CLDC-based Java execution environment in Japan to support Windows CE, this platform is seen by both Aplix Corporation and Microsoft as a powerful solution for Internet environments, at a time when the use of Java in small embedded systems development is attracting strong interest.
The microJBlend solution developed by Aplix Corporation brings the advantages of a Java execution environment to cellular phones, mobile information devices, information appliances and other small consumer products, even those with limited memory resources in the kilobyte range. It enables vendors to incorporate a CLDC/KVM-based Java platform in their products quickly and efficiently. The KFTT technology developed by Aplix Corporation, which accelerates KVM on the CPU, is included in microJBlend. Java applications enjoy a huge speed boost from this technology. An i-Appli compatible version of microJBlend is already in use in cellular phones sold by NTT DoCoMo, which have won media acclaim for the KFTT-powered Java runtime performance. And a microJBlend version for MIDP has been adopted across the board as the platform for the next-generation Java cellular phones by J-Phone.
Microsoft Windows CE, the basic system in pocket PCs, handheld PCs and other such mobile information devices, is also finding wider use in a diverse range of devices from industrial terminals to Internet TV and car navigation systems as the market comes to recognize the advanced functionality of this OS. In Japan, its share has risen dramatically in recent months, with the number of licenses growing at a rate of more than 300 percent over the past year. It is seen as a promising platform for next-generation products.
The expanded partnership is based on a convergence of the two companies' strategies. Microsoft, whose Windows CE is used in handheld PCs, PDAs and other small information terminals and a wide range of embedded systems, is aiming to establish a solid position for this platform in the Internet environment as well, where strong growth is expected to continue. In addition to the .NET strategy it is now pursuing, the company sees the Aplix Corporation CLDC/KVM-based microJBlend, the platform of choice for embedded Java, as the quickest way to meet the demand for a Java language development environment for Windows CE. For Aplix Corporation, meanwhile, the partnership offers an opportunity to expand the use of microJBlend in the PDAs and other compact information devices where Windows CE is so widely used. The two companies have agreed to carry out joint marketing toward establishing Windows CE-based Java technology as a solution for embedded systems.
The two partners introduced microJBlend for Window CE in a joint exhibit, with demonstrations, at the Microsoft Windows Embedded Developers Conference 2001, held May 8 and 9 in Toyocho, Tokyo.
- About Windows CE
Windows CE was developed by Microsoft as a real-time operating system for high-end embedded systems and devices, targeting mainly 32-bit processors, to meet the growing trend toward richer, more advanced functionality in these product areas. Providing Internet and other communication functions, Web browsing, and multimedia, it offers a platform for timely marketing of industrial systems, mobile information devices, as well as next-generation Internet appliances and consumer electronics products.
- About microJBlend
Based on Sun Microsystems' CLDC/KVM Java virtual machine, Aplix Corporation 's microJBlend is a more compact version of its JBlend™ embedded Java platform. It is designed for use in small products from cellular phones and mobile information terminals to home appliances, with their limited memory resources typically in the kilobyte range. Being platform-independent, microJBlend can be ported onto a variety of operating systems or even to environments without an OS. Both i-Appli and MIDP versions are available.
For more information:
Aplix Corporation of America: http://www.aplixcorp.com
Aplix Corporation: http://www.aplix.co.jp
JBlend™: JBlend™
- Press Contact:
Public Relations
Embedded Systems Sales
Aplix Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3207-6619
pr-team@aplix.co.jp
1. i-Appli:
Downloadable Java applications for NTT DoCoMo's popular i-mode mobile Internet service.
2. MIDP:
Mobile Information Device Protocol, a standard created by Sun Microsystems and its partners for putting Java on cellular phones.
