Wireless Mobile Custom Application Development Outsourcing (incl. Palm Software Development & Palm Application Development)

G&G is a leader in applying both wireless Java and Microsoft technologies to build business applications that can run on mobile devices, PCs, servers, cellular telephones and PDAs. We build and deliver Java and Microsoft enterprise applications those run on handheld devices that are connected to server applications which run as part of a J2EE or .NET implementations. We implement solutions to extend your enterprise applications available anywhere and anytime using wireless devices. G&G’s wireless & mobile application development outsourcing services include the following platforms, technologies and capabilities:

• Java platform: Java 2 Platform, J2ME Wireless toolkit, Java Card technology, J2EE for Application development for small handheld devices or a mission-critical enterprise-wide application, Wireless Messaging API (WMA), Mobile Media API (MMA).
• OS / Platforms: Palm software development (i.e., Palm application development) platform, Pocket PC, Windows CE, Symbian, Amiga.
• Other capabilities and technologies including: Development of wireless application software, wireless infrastructure, data synchronization, mobile middleware, wireless Security and networks using RFID, BlackBerry, BlueTooth, CDMA, TDMA, GSM, WAP, WML, GPRS, SMS, BREW, Oracle 9i, OracleMobile Online Studio.

In this section we provide an overview of wireless and mobile platforms from various development perspectives.

Wireless Java Programming & Technologies:

• G&G provides solutions architecture for integrating wireless devices into enterprise applications, including Palm application development and Symbian & Amiga application development.
• We help you research and choose technologies for handheld devices that act as clients for enterprise applications–providing you detailed handheld device features, wireless networking standards (1G to 4G), service technologies, middleware, content formats, and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME).
• G&G develops client applications using the Wireless Markup Language (WML), J2ME’s Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP), VoiceXML, Java Card, and Bluetooth (for Palm software development, Symbian & Amiga software development and others).
• We use enterprise technologies for supporting wireless device applications–including using Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) as a platform for developing the transcoding and personalization infrastructure for wireless devices and as a platform for writing applications.
• G&G extensively implements web services (SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL) as technologies for extending and integrating applications, and XML processing as a means to connect MIDP applications to the enterprise infrastructure.

J2ME platform

The Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) provides a robust, flexible environment for applications running on consumer devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and TV set-top boxes, as well as a broad range of embedded devices. Like its counterparts for the enterprise (J2EE), desktop (J2SE) and smart card (Java Card) environments, J2ME includes Java virtual machines and a set of standard Java APIs defined through the Java Community Process, by expert groups whose members include leading device manufacturers, software vendors, and service providers.

J2ME delivers the power and benefits of Java technology to consumer and embedded devices. It includes flexible user interfaces, a robust security model, a broad range of built-in network protocols, and extensive support for networked and offline applications that can be downloaded dynamically. Applications based on J2ME specifications are written once for a wide range of devices, yet exploit each device's native capabilities.

The J2ME platform is deployed on millions of devices, supported by leading tool vendors, and used by companies worldwide. For many, it is the platform of choice for today's consumer and embedded devices.

The J2ME Architecture, Configurations, Profiles & Optional Packages

The J2ME architecture comprises a variety of configurations, profiles, and optional packages that implementers and developers can choose from, and combine to construct a complete Java runtime environment that closely fits the requirements of a particular range of devices and a target market. Each combination is optimized for the memory, processing power, and I/O capabilities of a related category of devices. The result is a common Java platform that takes full advantage of each type of device to deliver a rich user experience.

Configurations comprise a virtual machine and a minimal set of class libraries. They provide the base functionality for a particular range of devices that share similar characteristics, such as network connectivity and memory footprint. Currently, there are two J2ME configurations: the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and the Connected Device Configuration (CDC).

To provide a complete runtime environment for a specific device category a configuration must be combined with a profile, a set of higher-level APIs that further define the application life-cycle model, the user interface, and access to device-specific properties. A profile supports a narrower category of devices within the framework of a chosen configuration. A widely adopted example is to combine CLDC with the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) to provide a complete Java application environment for cell phones and other devices with similar capabilities.

The J2ME platform can be extended by adding various optional packages to a technology stack that includes either CLDC or CDC and an associated profile. Created to address very specific application requirements, optional packages offer standard APIs for using both existing and emerging technologies such as database connectivity, wireless messaging, multimedia, Bluetooth, Palm software development and web services. Because optional packages are modular, developers can avoid carrying the overhead of unnecessary functionality by including only the packages an application actually needs.

Wireless Mobile Technologies from Microsoft:

Since launching the Microsoft Windows CE operating system in 1996 and the Handheld PC version 1.0 product shortly thereafter, Microsoft has helped developers target Windows Mobile-based platforms with a selection of powerful and increasingly specialized tools that address specific needs and application tasks. Currently, Microsoft offers different tool packages for building applications for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and Smartphones.

Here, according to Microsoft, we provide an understanding of the current and future landscape of Windows Mobile application development tools. It might help developers decide which offerings are most suitable for specific needs, when to use each tool, and what mobile application developers need to get started on their mobile application projects.

Tools for Mobile Application Development

The following sections provide an overview of the tools currently available for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and Smartphones. When reading the descriptions of the tools, developers should consider them in the context of using native, managed, or server-side code:

• Use native code for high performance, if you need direct hardware access or if you require a small footprint.
• Use managed code for user interface-centric applications that require fast time-to-market or rapid application development. Also use managed code if you want easy access to Web services.
• Use server-side code for targeting a wide variety of devices with a single code base and where there is guaranteed data bandwidth to the device.

eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0

Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 provides an entry-level integrated development environment for building mobile applications, including necessary compilers, debugging facilities and platform documentation. The eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 include Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0 and eMbedded Visual Basic 3.0. Both tools are separate development environments and do not require any other development environment, such as Microsoft Visual Studio or Visual Studio .NET, to run. To target a Windows Mobile-based device, eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 requires a platform Software Development Kit (SDK) for the device family the developer wants to target. The 2002 edition of the eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 includes the SDKs for Pocket PC 2002 and Smartphone 2002.

eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0

The Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0 development system offers the native code C++ compiler for Windows Mobile-based development. It can target all devices based on Microsoft Windows CE 2.11 and 3.0 if the correct SDK is installed. The eMbedded Visual C++ debugger works via Microsoft ActiveSync, through a wired LAN, wireless LAN or cradle connection. There are software emulators available for Pocket PC 2002 and Smartphone 2002 devices. When Pocket PC 2002 was released, Microsoft introduced a new emulator for the Pocket PC 2002 SDK that is closer to a real Windows Mobile-based device. The new emulator runs true Windows CE binaries in a virtual PC shell. The Smartphone 2002, Pocket PC 2003, and Smartphone 2003 SDKs also use this new emulator.

eMbedded Visual Basic 3.0

eMbedded Visual Basic cannot be used to develop applications for Windows Mobile 2002-based Smartphone. Due to this and other factors, including the strong interest in the development community in Visual Basic .NET, the eMbedded Visual Basic technology is being phased out and replaced by the more powerful Visual Basic .NET language. Microsoft recommends that developers use Visual Basic .NET to create all new Pocket PC applications and use eMbedded Visual Basic for maintaining older applications.

eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0

Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 supports development for Windows CE .NET 4.2 based devices and, via service pack 3, supports Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition software for Pocket PCs and Smartphones. eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 is ideal for targeting mobile or embedded devices based on Windows CE .NET 4.2 using native code. Enhancements of eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 include:

• Just-In-Time debugging for diagnosing unhandled exceptions
• C++ structured exception handling
• "Attach-to" a process for improved process debugging
• Better integration with the new emulator

Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Smart Device Programmability

The Smart Device Programmability (SDP) features of Visual Studio .NET 2003 help developers write mobile applications that take advantage of the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, enabling distributed mobile computing in either connected or disconnected scenarios. The extensive class library available through the .NET Compact Framework allows applications to be written much faster than with traditional tools.

Visual Studio .NET 2003 enables Pocket PC 2002 and, with the appropriate SDK, Pocket PC 2003 and Smartphone 2003 development using the same tools and techniques as desktop development. It installs the .NET Compact Framework, which is specifically designed for resource-constrained devices. Developers can use the new C# language or the Visual Basic .NET language to target mobile and embedded devices. It also works well for applications that use Web services or leverage ADO.NET. Developers should use Visual Studio .NET 2003 for:

• Applications that are written in managed code
• Applications that take advantage of Web services
• Applications that must work well in either a connected or disconnected environment
• Developing applications using either Visual Basic .NET or C#
• When you wish to use the same tools for desktop, server, and device programming
• Rapidly developed mobile applications
• Software that provides a reliable and secure environment
• Applications that may be moved to different devices with different CPUs or a variety of Windows versions

ASP.NET Mobile Controls

ASP.NET Mobile Controls complement Smart Device Programmability and the .NET Compact Framework. ASP.NET Mobile Controls extend the power of the .NET Compact Framework and Visual Studio .NET for building mobile Web applications by enabling ASP.NET to deliver markup to a wide variety of mobile devices. With this approach, developers can use Visual Studio .NET to build a single mobile Web application that automatically adapts its page rendering for a wide variety of devices such as Internet-enabled cell phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), like the Pocket PC. It also eases development tasks because it integrates into the Visual Studio .NET Integrated Design Environment (IDE), allowing developers to build mobile Web applications by dragging and dropping controls onto a mobile Web form. ASP.NET does not install any components on the client device. Instead, it uses server-side logic to adapt the rendering to a specific device's Web browser. It generates Wireless Markup Language (WML), HTML, and compact HTML (cHTML). In addition to adaptive Web page rendering, ASP.NET offers a rich framework for customization and extensibility, providing an easy means of extending the controls to take advantage of new and different devices that will enter the market. Additionally, ASP.NET lets developers control the rendering for a specific device or class of devices within the same programming model, and allows developers to easily add support for new devices without re-authoring their mobile Web applications.

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Windows CE Edition Version 2.0

Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 Windows CE Edition (SQL Server CE) version 2.0 is the compact database for rapidly developing applications that extend enterprise data management capabilities to mobile devices. SQL Server CE is a powerful tool that makes it easy to develop mobile applications by supporting familiar Structured Query Language (SQL) syntax and providing a development model and API consistent with SQL Server. The SQL Server CE engine exposes an essential set of relational database features, such as an optimizing query processor and support for transactions and assorted data types, while maintaining a compact footprint that preserves precious system resources. Remote data access and merge replication ensure that data from SQL Server databases is delivered reliably; can be manipulated offline; and can be synchronized later to the server, making SQL Server CE ideal for mobile and wireless environments. SQL Server CE 2.0 is designed to integrate with the .NET Compact Framework through Visual Studio .NET, simplifying database application development for smart devices. Using the new SQL Server CE data provider to manage code by means of the Common Language Runtime, mobile application developers can build highly extensible applications with offline data management capability for disconnected scenarios.