Aplix, best known for its Java stacks for mobile phones, will add carrier-specific mobile phone software reference implementations (RIs) to its product line. Handset vendors will use its modular RIs to quickly create differentiated BTO (built-to-order) designs, it says. A Linux RI and a Brew RI are its first objectives.

Aplix says that growing customization requirements from wireless operators have increased the software integration burden for handset vendors. It hopes its modular RIs will help, providing reusable, carrier-specific and carrier-certified components that can be deployed quickly across a variety of architectures.

The modular components comprising Aplix's RIs are described as:

• High-level “feature cores,” such as browsers, mail, and poc (push-to-talk over cellular)
• Mid-level functional engines, such as 2D, 3D, SVG, and sound
• Low-level basic library functions, such as telephony

Unclear is whether Aplix's Linux-based RIs will include a Linux kernel component, or support third-party kernels instead. Aplix belongs to MontaVista's Mobilinux mobile phone software ecosystem, and says it is working with “many different middleware / component partners” to integrate its RIs.

Aplix is building its RIs in a “Platforms Development Center” that it opened in April, with 200 engineers and plans to hire 100 more.

Aplix's web pages about its BTO RIs suggest that 3G phones based on Qualcomm chipsets may be its first target. Qualcomm, long committed exclusively to its Brew execution environment, announced in May of last year that it would support Linux across its entire line of “Enhanced Mobile Multimedia” chipsets for 3G UMTS, HSDPA, and CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Rev. A phones.

CEO Ryu Koriyama stated, “Building on our direct work relationships with leading operators and pre-development of porting layers/glues with the different middleware/component partners, Aplix is proud to extend our product offerings from pure Java platform to the ENTIRE mobile phone software solution that conforms to the specifications of different operators. We hope to provide full operator certified RIs that meet manufacturers' needs in the development of high-performance mobile phones, and at the same time, increase Aplix's revenue and profit by raising the per unit income.”

About Aplix

Aplix claims to lead the world in mobile phone Java deployments. It was established in 1986, and has been a Sun Java licensee since 1996. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Over 170 million phones have shipped with Aplix's JBlend Java virtual machine, it says. Its customers include Vodafone K.K., NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone, Sprint, O2, Orange, and China Mobile.

 
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