Lutris To Bundle Wireless Tools With App Server

Lutris Technologies could give wireless applications development a much-needed shot in the arm with the next release of Enhydra, an open-source applications server.

The open source consulting firm on Monday will unveil Enhydra 3.5, which will come bundled with tools for developing applications for all of the leading wireless protocols.

Enhydra, an XML- and Java-based applications server, will be available shortly after Christmas, the company, based here, said.

With the announcement, Lutris will unveil two new alliances. Lutris is partnering with Nokia to provide tools compatible with Nokia's WAP handsets. That will make it easier for solution providers to create applications for WAP-supported phones.

Lutris is also partnering with Pixo, a developer of software and services for wireless phones, which is bundling its i-mode microbrowser with Enhydra 3.5.

Pixo's cHTML-based browser runs on i-mode handsets manufactured by NTT DoCoMo. This means wireless developers can use Enhydra to create applications for devices that speak cHTML, the language of i-mode, according to Lutris.

Earlier this month, Lutris formed a similar pact with Motorola. That pact will give developers tools for using Sun's Java 2, Micro Edition (J2ME) to create applications for Motorola's forthcoming iDEN handsets.

Stuart Williams, president of Pervasent, a wireless integrator in Berkeley, Calif., says using Enhydra as a platform for developing wireless solutions adds value to his business for a couple of reasons.

While not expecting tools from the various vendors to be tightly integrated in this first release of Enhydra 3.5, Williams says because Enhydra is open source, the tools will evolve more quickly than proprietary tools.

"With open source at the core, tools can be integrated faster and faster," Williams says.

He adds that Enhydra's support for J2ME is especially valuable for his business. While other platforms such as BEA's WebLogic and IBM's WebSphere have significant support for creating wireless applications, he has not seen much support for J2ME in those products, Williams says.

Williams adds that he thinks J2ME "is going to be instrumental in enabling the next generation of wireless applications."