Software Development for the QUALCOMM BREW Platform

QUALCOMM Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) is a development platform allowing software developers to create applications that operate on all handsets utilizing QUALCOMM CDMA chipsets. This cutting-edge book introduces BREW and describes differences from product competitors like J2ME, Palm OS, Symbian, and Pocket PC Phone Edition.

BREW offers a number of key advantages over other software environments, like secure application licensing, integrated billing, and down-to-the-metal APIs for high-performance applications. You'll learn what it takes to develop applications for BREW—not just development tools, but the methodology required to bring an application to a carrier for distribution.

Over 1 million BREW-enabled handsets shipped during BREW's first year. And BREW is involved with both major domestic carriers (such as Verizon Wireless, boasting over 37 million subscribers) and overseas carriers. Thus, BREW is poised as a key player in the wireless handset space.

Software Development for the QUALCOMM BREW Platform provides a soup-to-nuts examination of what it takes to design, develop, and deploy commercially viable applications for the QUALCOMM BREW platform. This new platform for wireless development is the solutions for delivering video and color games onto cell phones as you have seen in television advertisements. QUALCOMM Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) is a development platform that allows software developers to create applications that operate on all handsets that utilize the QUALCOMM CDMA chipsets. With over a million BREW-enabled handsets having shipped in the first year of BREW's availability and successful deployment with both a major domestic carrier (Verizon Wireless, with over five million subscribers) and overseas carriers (Telesp and KTF, with other carriers presently running trials with BREW), BREW is poised to become an important player in the wireless handset space. BREW offers a number of key advantages over other software environments for today's handsets to both carriers and software developers, including secure application licensing, integrated billing for application purchases, and down-to-the-metal APIs for high-performance applications including multimedia and gaming applications. Software Development for the QUALCOMM BREW Platform will begin with an introduction to BREW and how it differs from its competitors (J2ME, Palm OS, Symbian, and Pocket PC Phone Edition). After this orientation, the reader learns about what it takes to develop applications for BREW - not just development tools, but the methodology required to bring an application to a carrier for distribution.

Ray Rischpater is a freelance consultant and author with over 8 years' experience writing about and developing for handheld computing platforms. During this time, Ray has participated in the development of Internet technologies for J2ME, QUALCOMM BREW, Palm OS, Newton, and Magic Cap, and proprietary operating systems for vertical handheld computers. In addition, he's consulted during the development of websites for wireless devices using HTML and WAP. Ray is currently a senior software engineer at Rocket Mobile Inc. and holds a bachelor's degree in pure mathematics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the author of Wireless Web Development, Second Edition and Wireless Web Development with PHP and WAP.