Qualcomm Brews up an SDK for mobile OS

Qualcomm on Monday introduced its software developer kit for its Brew Mobile Platform, a mobile-phone operating system designed to bring Adobe Flash software to mid-range mobile phones.

Brew Mobile Platform (MP) was unveiled in 2007 as part of the Open Screen Project, an Adobe-led organisation whose members also include UK-based mobile chipmaker ARM, and whose aim is to bring a consistent application experience to a range of mobile devices.

Earlier this month Qualcomm launched the Brew MP Developer Network, and on Monday launched the software development kit (SDK), which allows developers to begin programming applications for Brew MP devices.

Brew MP is comparable with mobile operating systems such as Symbian, Google's Android and Apple's iPhone, but is intended for handsets with smaller screens and lower price points, according to Qualcomm. The platform includes Adobe Mobile Client (AMC) 1.1, a version of Adobe Flash Player optimised for phones and other handheld devices.

The new SDK is designed to help developers design applications, widgets and custom user interfaces, Qualcomm said.

It is intended to bridge the gap between web and mobile developers by providing a common set of Adobe developer tools, according to Steve Sprigg, senior vice president of engineering for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.

"With the Brew MP SDK, Flash developers can use familiar and powerful Adobe tools to publish compelling mobile applications quickly and easily for mass-market handsets used by mobile consumers worldwide," Sprigg said in a statement.

Features supported include touchscreens, multimedia, window management, platform extensibility and support for native application development, Qualcomm said.

Devices based on Brew MP are expected next year, Qualcomm has said.

At the Adobe Max 2008 conference in San Francisco on Monday, Adobe announced that ARM is optimising Flash for its mobile processors. Adobe said the installed base of Flash on mobile devices has now surpassed that on the desktop, with the number of devices shipping with Flash expected to surpass one billion early next year.

Flash is already supported by handset makers including Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson, Adobe said.

Original article: Qualcomm serves up Brew SDK to developers from CNET News.com