While BREW-based downloads are considered by the wireless industry to be of a higher quality than those based on Sun's technology, it's estimated that J2ME developers outnumber BREW developers by at least 5-to-1. Most major cell phone carriers have turned to selling downloads in an attempt to recoup some of the revenue lost through an ongoing price war in calling services, their main product. The deal is an example of how carriers who once relied on BREW exclusively to sell games, ring tones and other downloads are adding J2ME into the mix, according to Mazin Ramadan, chief executive of 4th Pass.
The wireless carrier the J2ME technologylicensed from Motorola division 4thPass.
As a major cellular carrier, it has been one of the largest feathers in the cap of BREW creator and licenser Qualcomm.īut on Monday, China Unicom said it plans to end that exclusive use and start selling downloads that use a version of Sun Microsystems' rival Java software language for cell phones, Java2 Micro Edition ( J2ME). In the past, the Chinese company has used Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless ( BREW) software to deliver over-the-air downloads to subscribers. China Unicom plans to distribute cell phone downloads using a version of Java, a deal that could influence how other cellular carriers sell games, ring tones or business applications.