Sony Ericsson have liscensed the AppForge Mobile runtime for the Sony Ericsson P800 meaning that developers can write program for the P800 in Visual Basic. Sony Ericsson will begin shipping the AppForge mobile runtime, Booster, as a standard feature on its devices beginning in Q1 2003.

This is great news for developers who now have another option for development. The issue of runtime size and speed of Appforge programs is likely to be far less of a concern on a device which is considerable faster than the 9210. AppForge applications are likely to taken a sizeable section of the business / customised program market, and the release of the Booster means we are likely to see many programs ported to the P800 version of Appforge (a task which is very easy when using an existing App Forge program).

AAS hopes to bring you a review of the App Forge system shortly.

Press Release:

AppForge Mobile Runtime Technology Licensed by Sony Ericsson for the P800

February 17, 2003

Enabling Visual Basic Developers to Write Mobile and Wireless Applications for the Symbian-Based P800 Smartphone

Cannes, France (February 17, 2003) - AppForge and Sony Ericsson have partnered to enable developers to write Visual Basic applications for the Sony Ericsson P800 smartphone. Sony Ericsson will begin shipping the AppForge mobile runtime, Booster™, as a standard feature on its devices beginning in Q1 2003.

“We are very excited to introduce our new products to Visual Basic developers worldwide,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Senior Vice President of Applications and Content at Sony Ericsson. “By enhancing our products with AppForge’s mobile application platform, Microsoft developers can write applications directly to the Symbian-based P800 product line without having to use additional technologies.”

The Sony Ericsson P800 includes a tri-band phone, digital camera, video player, MP3 player, and PIM suite including contact manager, calendar, e-mail and messaging applications. The P800 is already s hipping in Europe and Asia, and will be shipping to North America in Q1 2003. Existing P800 owners will be able to download the AppForge Booster runtime free of charge from the Sony Ericsson and AppForge websites.

“The Sony Ericsson P800 is the most sophisticated converged device on the market today,” said Mark Lummus, Vice President of Business Development at AppForge. “By shipping AppForge Booster on the P800, Sony Ericsson is enabling millions of Microsoft® Visual Basic® developers to create applications for the P800, thereby positioning it as the leading product in its category.“

AppForge’s mobile and wireless platform began shipping in December 2000. AppForge initially supported Palm OS devices and subsequently added support for the Pocket PC and Symbian operating systems. More than 10,000 applications have been written for the AppForge development platform, which is in use by more than 80,000 developers worldwide.

“For the past year, our developers have been requesting support for smartphones and other converged devices from manufacturers like Sony Ericsson,” Lummus continued, “Support for the Sony Ericsson P800 is one of the most anticipated enhancements to AppForge MobileVB.”

Developers interested in trying AppForge MobileVB can download a copy at http://www.AppForge.com/eval. Those interested in receiving more information about AppForge MobileVB with support for the Sony Ericsson P800 may visit http://www.AppForge.com/SonyEricsson. For information about the Sony Ericsson P800 visit http://www.SonyEricsson.com/p800.




About AppForge
AppForge products and technology enable software developers to write mobile and wireless applications using the knowledge and resources they already have. AppForge’s flagship product, MobileVB, provides Visual Studio developers the ability to write applications for more than 90% of the world’s leading mobile and wireless devices including Palm OS, Pocket PC and Symbian devices. More than 80,000 developers are using AppForge MobileVB to develop applications that are in use on more than three million mobile and wireless devices worldwide. For more information on AppForge, visit the company’s Web site at www.AppForge.com, phone (678) 686-9400, or e-mail info@AppForge.com

About Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB offers mobile communications products for people who appreciate the possibilities of powerful technology. Established in 2001 by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation, the joint venture continues to build on the success of its two innovative parent companies. Sony Ericsson creates value for its operator customers by bringing new ways of using multimedia communications while mobile. The company’s management is based in London, and has 4,000 employees across the globe working on research, development, design, sales, marketing, distribution and support.