Digital Airways MMI Technology for 3G Handsets

14th June , 2004

Europe : Digital Airways announces a new version of its Kaleido MMI (Man Machine Interface) technology for 3G mobile handsets. Initially available in Java, the new version extends its availability to C/C++ and can therefore be deployed on entry-level handsets and handsets using legacy OS and other operating systems such as Linux.

Kaleido is a suite of software tools allowing mobile phone manufacturers to design and implement sophisticated MMI quickly and easily. The complete tool chain comprises:

· Kaleido Design, a design tool running on PC that allows designers to create a mobile phone's MMI without programming. New screens, menus, behaviors or items are added with a simple drag and drop. MMI features can be modified in minutes, and immediately tested for validation. Kaleido Design automatically creates the description file that is used to implement the actual MMI on the target handset.

· Kaleido Viewer, a rendering application running on PC that allows the designer to visualize the MMI in real time during the design phase. Kaleido Viewer is used to test the MMI, discuss it among the design team and validate it.

· Kaleido Runtime, a MMI Engine that is implemented on the target handset. Kaleido Runtime implements the MMI as defined by the description file created with Kaleido Design.

Unlike existing MMI solutions, which are based on automated code generation or the provision of MMI-specific code libraries, Kaleido separates the MMI specification from its implementation: the MMI is fully specified with a configuration file, which is read and duly rendered by the MMI engine implemented on the handset.

"No matter how you try to simplify it, hard-coding a phone's MMI remains too complex, while legacy declarative approaches are too limited. Neither adequately addresses manufacturers' needs to manage several MMIs simultaneously in a cost-effective way, or allow them to quickly and securely respond to new market requirements." says Philippe Silberzahn, co-founder and CEO of Digital Airways. "Instead, Kaleido's approach is to define most of the MMI without any actual code. Since no code is sent onto the device, even the most sophisticated MMI can be created and implemented quickly, easily and deployed securely."

Kaleido allows manufacturers to create handsets that can completely change their MMI without re-programming once the MMI engine is implemented on the handset. A new MMI only requires a new description file, which can be produced easily with Kaleido Design. Hence, Kaleido provides the ability for manufacturers to faster and better respond to clients' and mobile operators' MMI requirements.

In addition, Kaleido includes IDO, an application stack that offers a basic suite of phone applications that can easily be customized and extended, further reducing time-to-market for a new handset.
Kaleido Runtime was initially introduced for Java platforms. Digital Airways is now extending the solution with a C version, which has lower hardware and software resource requirements for the phone and which can be directly integrated to any platform. A result, the MMI engine can be implemented on entry- to mid-level phones with excellent performance.

"The availability of the C version of Kaleido Runtime is an important step in meeting manufacturers' cross-platform MMI customization requirements." adds Silberzahn. "The combination of Kaleido's powerful features with its low resource requirements now make it possible to have the same MMI solution on a whole range of handsets, from entry-level to smartphones, and of operating systems, from legacy to new generation such as Linux, dramatically reducing development time and simplifying engineering work and security."

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