Flash Lite versus Java on the mobile phone

Flash LiteIt’s a well known fact that Java on the mobile phone has failed to live up to the expectations of applications developers and mobile operators alike.

Despite being heralded as the major source of interactive content, entertainment and innovation, several issues have hampered its success. Poor control on behalf of Sun Microsystems meant that Java was loosely implemented by handset vendors, leaving application developers with a headache the likes of which not seen in software development. It’s well known that different operator versions of the same handset often have subtly different Java functions, despite what manufacturers’ may claim.

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“..The Patron Saint of Mobile developers..”

Whilst at the Thinking Digital 2008 conference, I had the opportunity to speak to many people including some very influential bloggers and journalists. During a conversation with Mike Butcher of UK TechCrunch, I started talking about developer communities and how important it was to support mobile application development. We discussed my experience of operator apathy towards third party developers and how much of an uphill struggle it was and still is to get people to consider the space seriously.

Immediately I was reminded of an interview I gave to ComputerWeekly, following the launch of Source O2 (an O2 business now sadly defunct.) It was part of a month long PR drive to push O2‘s commitment to mobile application developers and to deliver an i-Mode style service, which we named O2 Revolution. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the finest software developers in the World and I know what is required to make great software on virtually any platform. My exuberance and passion for the Source O2 programme and the goals we were trying to achieve, prompted the journalist to call me the developers’ Patron Saint. I immediately laughed-off the comment and used the full power of the O2 press office to ensure the article was serious and noteworthy.

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USSD – A cheap alternative to machine driven SMS

USSD in action

I was recently re-introduced to USSD, an unsung hero of the GSM and now the 3G world. Despite the relative obscurity of this service, USSD is behind pay-as-you-go/prepay systems which users interact with for balance enquiries, customer care access and other more mundane features like call diverting/forwarding etc.

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