Sun Buys Beduin For Cellphone Browser

Computergram International, Oct 21, 1998

Sun Microsystems Inc has acquired 12-person Canadian start-up Beduin Communications for its Impact Java web browser that works on cell phones running Sun's PersonalJava subset of the JDK. Beduin also working on LifeStyle email and organizer software that can manage and synchronize personal information between servers and devices running Impact.

Sun is clearly still working to gets its Java software eggs in a row as it already offers the personal Web Access Browser developed for it by Spyglass Inc designed for use with PersonalJava. Sun said Impact, at 260Kb, is smaller than the Spyglass-derived browser (which replaced HotJava, Sun's own attempt at developing a Java browser) and is more suited to cell phone applications even though Spyglass has OEM deals with cellphone leader Nokia Oy AB and set-top system software house PowerTV Inc. Impact is due by year-end, LifeStyle follows sometime next year. Sun will ship them as Personal Applications. One of Beduin's co-founders left Nortel to form the company, and Beduin has an existing contract to supply Impacts to the telco equipment giant. Beduin has previously estimated 1998 revenue at $120,000, rising to $12m in 2000. It expects Sun to drive that up significantly. Beduin says its software will also run on set-top boxes, desktop web phones and car navigation systems. Financial details were not disclosed but Sun said the acquisition is non-material. Sun is increasingly resorting to putting its hand in its pocket or cutting co-development deals for Java software technologies that it appears unable to develop itself. Sun's consumer and embedded technologies group where Beduin will come to rest also has a couple of cuts of the JavaOS kernel - embedded and consumer - designed to bring real-time services to PersonalJava and EmbeddedJava APIs when they are fitted with the Chorus microkernel. The Gemini code base also used by the IBM co-owned JavaOS for Business uses a so-called Green threaded model which lack the Chorus real-time functionality.