JOINT INNOVATION LAB OPENS WIDGET API SPECIFICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTES THEM TO W3C AND THE NEWLY-FORMED WHOLESALE APPLICATIONS COMMUNITY

JIL continues to drive innovation in the mobile apps space by committing to offer API specifications royalty-free to wireless service providers around the globe

February 15, 2010

The Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) announced today that it will open its widget API specification to other wireless service providers and contribute these API specifications to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). JIL members also announced that they will join the newly formed Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) to ensure that mobile developers can reach as many mobile customers as simply and as cost effectively as possible.

The move demonstrates JIL's commitment to making its applications more open to developers and wireless service providers.

JIL will make the widget API specifications available to any wireless company looking to offer a development platform for mobile Web based applications. JIL expects this will encourage broader adoption of the JIL specification by operators and OEMs and reduce industry fragmentation. JIL believes the availability of an open specification with broad global reach will encourage more developers to create innovative mobile applications, benefiting consumers through improved quality and choice.

JIL currently supports W3C widget specifications, such as the W3C packaging and configuration API. JIL's contribution of the widget API specifications reinforces JIL's commitment to support emerging World Wide Web (W3C) standards.

“By contributing our widget API specification to the W3C, we are creating the foundation for all wireless service providers and handset manufacturers to participate in a common, open mobile development platform,” said JIL CEO, Peters Suh. “JIL remains committed to the developer community and we will continue to take a leadership role in identifying new areas of innovation which will ultimately lead to enhanced commercialized products and services for our customers.”

JIL, a joint venture between China Mobile, Softbank, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, has launched a range of tools to encourage innovation among global mobile developers. The tools include: a common mobile widgets specification, easy-to-use developer kits and an online repository, distribution and payment mechanism to ensure developers can roll out their products to customers in more than 70 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

JIL also announced today that a number of handset manufacturers including HTC, Huawei Device, Lenovo and ZTE committed to support the JIL widget specification in addition to LG Electronics (LG), Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sharp who had previously committed to provide JIL compliant handsets.

JIL was established by China Mobile Limited, Softbank and Vodafone in 2008, with Verizon Wireless joining in 2009.

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