Sun Snaps Up SavaJe IP For Mobile Java 3G

Will the technology purchase lead the way for a Sun Phone? Let's just say that Jonathan Schwartz would love to grab more of that mobile subscription cash.Sun Microsystems said Thursday that it was acquiring some intellectual property for SavaJe, a company that specializes in advanced operating systems based on Mobile Java. Not the whole company, just some of the technology. Prices were not disclosed.

SavaJe has some pretty cool 3G technology. Most recently, the company announced its Java-enhanced Mobile Platform supports Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), user interface localization, embedded software and Chinese-specific mobile Java applications. Think advanced UI.

SavaJe was one of the first to use the JSR-209 spec to give application developers the ability to create advanced user interfaces for mobile phones and devices using Swing and Java2D. This extends the potential population of mobile application developers to more than four million.

The technology was jointly developed by the China Academy of Telecommunications Technology in collaboration with Datang Mobile. TD-SCDMA is China's standard for 3G mobile communications.

Translation... SavaJe has something more than technology to offer Sun Micro. How about more access to Chinese markets? How about development partnerships outside North America?

With the media blitz on smartphones (read Apple iPhone) it's no wonder that analysts are suggesting Sun might be building one for itself. I'm not sure that a handset is what Sun has its eye on here. Sun has gotten burned on hardware before. Schwartz is more excited about software licensing than he is about a handset.

As for what Sun will officially do with the SavaJe technology, the company is breasting its cards until the annual JavaOne Conference being held in San Francisco in early May. So expect a big splash there.

My prediction is that Sun will announce plans to build and offer developer tools that are a combination of SavaJe and its own Mobile Java. That way, they can take advantage of the growing TD-SCDMA market and secure its future in China's mobile sector.

Any takers?