TABLE OF CONTENTS The latest networks, radio and hardware technologies that are enabling a multitude of additional services and applications have been considered. One major piece of the puzzle to be explored is the software platform on which modem software and the applications execute.
Software Platforms: The more functionality a mobile device is intended to have, the more likely it is that the device manufacturer has to license, port, and customize a full software platform into the device. The choice of available platforms ranges from operating systems derived from PCs, systems originally designed for handheld organizers, to platforms specifically designed for mobile wireless devices.
Complete mobile device platform architecture must cover network drivers, peripherals, local connectivity, an intrinsically designed voice communication interface, security, browsing, messaging, user interface (UI), packaged applications, and development tools.
A complete platform usually provides choices for operators and developers on how to create applications. Whether to use C/C ++, scripting, or Java is a decision to be made according to the application requirements.
Software Components: Smartphones and PDAs rely on operating systems that can be licensed from software vendors, but mobile phones are still largely being built on proprietary operating systems. The internal architectures of phones vary, but they are tuned for voice communications with data communications as another essential function.
The introduction of WAP browsers started the data access era for mobile devices. Browsers also started the trend of licensable software components and porting them to proprietary phone operating systems. This trend...
