ROUND TABLE:
Micro Edition EC
ElectedBy John Bacon
Marion Lineberry, Texas Instruments
Marion Lineberry, representing Texas Instruments, directs software R&D for
TI's Wireless Terminals Business Unit in Dallas. He has been involved in all
aspects of Java platform development for wireless and consumer devices for
the past five years and has more than 20 years of experience in developing
and managing object-oriented software technology.
"It is very important to
create an open software platform for wireless services, and Java and J2ME are
critical components of this platform," Lineberry says. He says that since TI
invests and
participates in most of the underlying technologies and standardization
activities
that impact J2ME developments, the company necessarily plays an important
role in providing the advanced features and functionality upon which new
wireless services are based. "This places us in a unique position to advise
and help guide the creation of the software
platforms that will expose these features to J2ME application developers,"
Lineberry says. For J2ME to ultimately succeed, he says it must provide a
stable and consistent software
platform in a timely manner.
That is no small order given that J2ME tries to
cover a such diverse set of technologies delivered to a wide range of
markets. "Representing a company that is heavily involved in many of the
technologies and
markets that impact J2ME development, my primary role is providing
perspective on
the common software requirements and maturity of these technologies and
markets," Lineberry says. "This will help build stability and consistency of
the J2ME platform and determine
the speed that JSRs should be driven through the process." Lineberry says
that another major role is encouraging participation in the JCP by others
based on associations in
developing standards in 3GPP, ITU, IEEE and similar organizations.
Tim Rahrer, Zucotto Wireless
The representative for Zucotto Wireless, Tim Rahrer, is director of
technology. Zucotto is a world leader in merging wireless connectivity with
Java technology to create unique processor-core-based products.
XPRESSOcore is Zucotto's flagship line of Java technology-based processors.
Rahrer is the man behind Zucotto's technology vision, intellectual property
portfolio and industry standards portfolio. His most recent projects have
focused on user-interface technologies and services delivery architectures
using Java technology for embedded devices on IP wire and wireless networks.
"In the first year of our EC participation, we saw first hand the important
role EC members play in the evolution of both the Java platform and the JCP program," Rahrer says. "So we are very enthusiastic
about the opportunity to continue contributing in this area." He says that
Zucotto has built a worldwide reputation for accelerating Java applications
in processor cores for mobile devices.
"The JCP program is a key element in
the evolution and industry-wide adoption of the J2ME platform, and therefore
to the success of our products." Rahrer says. Zucotto remains committed to
ensuring that the process of creating new Java specifications and updating
the platforms remains open, fair, and responsive to the needs of the
industry. In addition, he said he will work with the J2ME EC to ensure the ME
platform continues to be the preferred method for creating compelling
applications for small, mobile devices.
"As the economic climate tightens,
it's even more important to create clear, comprehensive, compact, and
reliable standards to reduce the risk of introducing new products and
services," he says. "As companies are looking for faster time to market and
ROI, the standards process must keep pace by continuing to evolve quickly.
The EC and the JSR expert groups need to continue to quickly address the
evolving needs of the industry."
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