J2ME Luminary: Mark Duesener of Vodafone Group

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Mark Duesener is a Technology Manager at Vodafone Group R&D. He has been with Vodafone since 2000 and is responsible for terminal platforms and Java standardization. Mark holds a degree in communications engineering from the Technical University in Munich, Germany. Mark is one of the specification leads for two Java Specification Requests within the Java Community Process: JSR 248 and JSR 249 are defining the Mobile Service Architecture (MSA) for the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and the Connected Device Configuration (CDC), respectively.

Mark will present Mobile Service Architecture Initiative: JSR 248 and JSR 249 at JavaOne 2005. In this interview, he explains the MSA initiative, shares with us his insights into the future of the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), and more.

Qusay Mahmoud: What is your job title and your role in the MSA initiative?

Mark Duesener: I am a Technology Manager working in Group Research and Development at Vodafone. I'm responsible for the evolution of terminal platforms. Together with Asko Komsi from Nokia, I am the specification lead for the two JSRs defining the MSA.

QM: What is a mobile service? Do you consider a calculator MIDlet a mobile service?

MD: This is a rather philosophical question. I consider every service that is useful and accessible for me whenever and wherever I need it to be a mobile service. In that sense a calculator MIDlet could be called a mobile service.

MSA will provide developers with a functionality-rich platform, so that their creativity can stretch the boundaries of what a mobile service is today.

QM: Can you give me some examples of mobile services offered by Vodafone?

MD: First of all we enable our customers to make voice calls. Voice telephony is definitely our core service. In addition we offer services like push email and access to information and entertainment through Vodafone live!, including services like MobileTV and 3D Java-based games.

QM: What is the primary goal of the Mobile Service Architecture for CLDC, JSR 248, and for CDC, JSR 249?

MD: The MSA initiative aims to strengthen the Java architecture on mobile phones, both the CLDC and CDC stacks.

In the CLDC space many new JSRs have been developed, each bringing interesting functionality into Java, but they still include a number of options to serve the different target platforms they might run upon. In MSA for CLDC, we reduce the levels of options to the necessary minimum, to reduce fragmentation and create a Java architecture rather than a collection of JSRs.

MSA for CDC is taking the evolution of J2ME to the next level, a brand new architecture for phones. Today, Java on a phone can be seen as a platform for stand-alone applications. The MSA for CDC expert group is now defining Java to be a system-level platform that allows enhanced concurrency, security, inter-application communication, and so on. We believe this will create completely new opportunities.

QM: How is MSA different from the Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI), defined in JSR 185?

MD: The Mobile Service Architecture has goals similar to those JTWI had, especially in JSR 248. In that sense especially, MSA for CLDC can be seen as a continuation or next step of the work JTWI started. Finalized in 2003, JTWI consolidated four JSRs. By contrast, in the early draft of JSR 248 published in April 2005, MSA consolidated 17 JSRs. This consolidation reflects the tremendous evolution that has been happening in the J2ME space.

JSR 249 will consolidate existing JSRs as well, and make sure that all JSR 248 content can run smoothly on a JSR 249-compliant device. Unlike JTWI and MSA for CLDC, however, MSA for CDC will introduce a completely new platform, taking J2ME to the next level. By reconstructing CDC now, before a rapid uptake of CDC-based devices, we will ensure consistency right from the start.

QM: How does the MSA initiative address security and privacy issues in J2ME applications?

MD: The mobile business is based upon a high level of trust from the users. Only a secure environment can be a successful environment in the mobile space.

In MSA, security and privacy are at the center of our work. We will make existing recommended practices for security mandatory and will define clear policies, ensuring that the user can rely on the services offered.

QM: How does MSA benefit customers and developers?

MD: Developers can expect a large installed base of mobile phones that offer a huge set of functionality and consistent behavior. I'm sure that the size of this market will further stimulate innovation in J2ME, as developers will be able to concentrate even more on implementing new ideas, rather than on porting existing applications from one device to the next.

Obviously this innovation push will ultimately benefit the customer, who will be able to choose from all kinds of applications.

QM: Who is responsible for ensuring that devices conform to JSR 248 or JSR 249?

MD: As part of the final release of JSR 248 and 249 a technology compatibility kit will be produced, as with every JSR. Only devices passing this TCK will be permitted to claim conformance.

QM: When do you think devices that conform to MSA will be available?

MD: We expect to finalize the MSA specifications for CLDC in the fourth quarter of this year, and I would expect to see the first JSR 248-compliant devices sometime in the second half of 2006.

QM: What is the greatest achievement of J2ME today?

MD: The fact that approximately three out of four mobile phones shipped in 2005 are Java-enabled demonstrates tremendous success – especially considering that MIDP is only five years old. I can't think of any other platform that has achieved similar success in a similar timeframe.

QM: JSR 249 is targeted at the CDC platform and Foundation Profile. Is Vodafone using CDC?

MD: CDC is not currently being used at Vodafone, as it currently does not have a significant market presence. This absence will change with JSR 249, as it will define the interworking of all components necessary to make the CDC platform ready for the market. I'm sure we'll see a couple of implementations hitting the market after the standard is final.

QM: Where do you see J2ME technology going in the next three years?

MD: As I said before, I think J2ME has grown into a very successful platform. Until today, the majority of business success we've seen has been in the games arena. I strongly believe that this is just the beginning. I see J2ME getting to a level of maturity where it will increasingly be supporting non-game use cases. With the introduction of functionality such as database access through JDBC, and identification and trust through JSR 177, I expect to see an uptake of enterprise applications. I would also expect to see J2ME being used more as a platform to run service clients, for push email or instant messaging, to give just two examples.

QM: Do you have any advice for wireless Java application developers?

MD: Sure! First: Credibility is the basis for commercial success. Application developers should not see the security framework we've put in place as a barrier to innovation, but as a necessary tool to earn customers' trust. Only if customers can rely on the accuracy of their bills are they willing to pay, and help make your business successful.

Second: Provide feedback on the specifications. In JSRs 248 and 249 we are working hard to strengthen the architecture. The more high-quality feedback we receive, especially real-life feedback, the higher the quality of MSA.

Qusay H. Mahmoud provides Java-related consulting and training services. He has published dozens of articles on Java technology, and is the author of Distributed Programming with Java (Manning Publications, 1999) and Learning Wireless Java (O'Reilly, 2002).