Java phone company signs major partners

Two major mobile phone manufacturers, Siemens and Ericsson, have agreed to sell software developed by 4thpass that lets customers send Java programs wirelessly to next-generation cell phones, 4thpass will announce Tuesday. Top cell phone maker Nokia has a similar arrangement, but the two new partners also will support the software package, said 4thpass communications director Kevin Keating.

4thpass, based in Seattle, sells software that lets mobile phone carriers including Nextel, LG Telecom and Telefonica Moviles send Java programs to the new generation of Java-equipped mobile phones. Phone-specific Java programs can run on different types of cell phones without having to be changed for each one. Wireless carriers hope selling Java programs will increase the amount of money they can extract from mobile phone subscribers. 4thpass' software can be used to send Java programs to mobile phones and to inspect the programs to make sure they're appropriate for the phone they'll arrive on.