Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: vmware, mobile, pda, phone | Themes: Smartphones, Business, 3GSM
VMware, well known for their desktop and server virtualization software, are making steps towards the mobile device market with their Mobile Virtualization Platform (MVP).
The Mobile Virtualization Platform is, in simple terms, a layer that interfaces between a mobile device’s hardware and software side – this approach, if it becomes widely supported and taken on by manufacturers, could be a benefit for both mobile developers and consumers.
MVP aims to somewhat ‘standardize’ the mobile platform for software development. The MVP would allow mobile software developers to write code based on the virtual abstraction layer without worry of the actual device hardware – thus allowing their code to run on multiple hardware platforms across many devices. Provided the idea catches on, of course.
For example, a mobile Web Browser could be written that would work on BlackBerry, HTC and Motorola devices without requiring specialized versions for each type of device. Developers would still need to pay attention to user interface differences of course, but could account for that within their code and allow users to select what type of device they are installing to initially – the rest is a breeze.
VMware’s MVP is kind of a play on an old idea, the Java Virtual machine. Devices that supported Java applications could all run the same Java applications no matter what type of device – but as we all know, Java processing is slow at most, even worse on mobile processors. VMware knows virtualization like nobody else’s business, so we trust in their abilities to make this idea work – the hard part is getting the manufacturers to onboard. Guess we will just have to wait and see about that.
According to VMware’s Euro product director, MVP could “make it possible for various mobile operating systems, such as Symbian, varieties of Linux and Windows Mobile, to ‘co-exist on the handset as well’.” Now that’s a pretty attractive statement. The underground hacking / modding community would be all over this like it is the holy grail.
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Would be brilliant if they'd succeed. I so hate seeing all those supposedly platform independant programs not working on my symbian based nokia even though they do install just fine....
Well, not too innovative. IT is exactly what J2ME is doing. While not perfect, it address the exact same needs.
It doesn't have to be innovative to be good. According to a few programmer friends of mine no current system works well for mobile devices, so while vmware only picks up a topic someone else thought of, one can only hope they are able to do what nobody else succeeded at - to create a simple and working interface between software and hardware that is.
java isn't an option, it's the curse you live.