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Targeting devices such as cellular phones, PDAs, set-top boxes and residential gateways, the new pack represents a bundling of the Forte for Java wireless toolkit together with Java blueprints and APIs from a new specification dealing with Web services for small devices.

Sun has highlighted the progress of this specification - a certain 'JSR # 172'. Already endorsed by the likes of Oracle, Borland, Symbian and Nokia, it has been submitted to, and approved by, the Java Community Process (JCP) Executive Committee.

'This new specification will enable device manufacturers, service providers and

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content creators to maintain their competitive advantage and capitalise on new revenue streams,' believes Rich Green, VP of Java and XML Software at Sun Microsystems. 'Sun, in conjunction with the JCP Program, is leading this effort to ensure the industry will receive Web services standards in a timely fashion. The wireless consumer device market is, without question, an area of development where significant opportunities lie for the developer.'

Essentially the new spec will extend Web services standards - such as XML, SOAP and UDDI - to networked mobile and consumer devices. More info on this filing can be found here. It represents, of course, a big challenge to the Microsoft .NET Framework delivery of Web services.

It seems that there could be gold in them there hills, with the terrain in question being a Java developer for mobile devices. With Sun quoting analyst estimations of over one billion Java-enabled handsets in use by 2006, this potentially represents a huge demand for Java and Web services, which will be delivered by developers.

The low-down on Java