(10 June 2009 3:45 pm)

MUMBAI: Sony Ericsson has announced plans to extend its mobile Java Platform into its entry 3G mobile phone portfolio.

This means that games, applications and content developed on the Sony Ericsson Java platform will provide a business opportunity for developers who can now extend content creation for consumers in the entry 3G segment, widely recognised as a future growth area of the market.

Sony Ericsson corporate VP, head of creation and development Rikko Sakaguchi says, “Sony Ericsson has made significant investments in the development of its mobile Java Platform, which has enabled an exceptional user-experience and consistent performance. We are confident that extending the Java Platform to a much larger global market will encourage developers to drive innovation and create richer user experiences for our customers”.

Sony Ericsson uses a platform approach to Java platform implementation allowing developers to focus on a platform rather than on a variety of phone product names. As a platform supports many phones, developers can deploy one build across several phones saving time and effort.

Sony Ericsson adds that it has enjoyed success with feature-rich 3G phones due to the richness and consistent performance of Java. Transferring this fully developed platform into cost-efficient 3G devices will be an important element of Sony Ericsson’s business strategy.

Sony Ericsson Developer World, India manager marketing and communications Natasha Dutta says, "This is good news for over a million Java developers in India. Also with the 3G roll out in India expected soon, the fastest growing telecom market in the world will be a huge playground for the developer community”.

Sony Ericsson is looking to broaden the market for developers to build applications on one of the most robust and flexible environments in the industry. Sony Ericsson’s accumulated mobile Java knowledge and investments, which have enabled the continuous differentiation and evolution of Walkman and Cyber-shot phones, is the basis for this new strategic direction. Sony Ericsson’s aim is to grow its share of the 3G Java phone market as the Java platform JP 8.5 with its feature support becomes available.