Sony Ericsson Developer World has announced the release of a complete package for Web Services development, enabling over-the-air access directly from your Sony Ericsson mobile phone to web server based solutions by using the C++ or Java™ programming languages.

Extending its support for Web Services for the Java ME Platform to UIQ 3, Sony Ericsson Developer World now introduces a new development tutorial and sample code for use together with the gSOAP open-source toolkit.

Web Services have the power to offer vast, revenue-generating opportunities to the mobile industry by giving mobile users access to services like search engines, online auctions, book stores and gift shops as well as online payment services. Web Services for the UIQ 3 software platform also make it easier to design sophisticated enterprise applications such as real-time mobile inventory systems or online banking services.

The industry trend toward convergence has resulted in telecom operators looking to create value-added services that combine voice, video and data services over fixed and mobile networks. Sony Ericsson has focused its efforts on removing the barriers to enter this highly lucrative market by enabling developers to use existing application programming interfaces (API’s) on today’s phones to design not just client-specific applications but also advanced server-based Web 2.0 solutions, without worrying about interoperability between different platforms, networks or service models.

With the new Web Services for UIQ 3 package released today, Sony Ericsson gives developers an easy solution including guidance on how to access remote services over the internet on UIQ 3 phones using an open XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language) protocol called SOAP (Simple Access Object Protocol). By combining the open-source gSOAP toolkit with a new developer tutorial and code samples from Sony Ericsson Developer World, developers are provided with a simple API that enables them to concentrate on the application-essential logic instead of protocol specifics.

“Companies evaluating the opportunity of mobile Web Services have in the past faced resource obstacles during the development phase, and up until now there has been no easy implementation on UIQ. SOAP support on mobile phones enables true interoperability with network-based services. With Web Services gaining traction in the industry and with increased market demand, there has been a need to educate developers how to make use of them in new innovative ways for mobile phones. The open-source gSOAP package and Sony Ericsson developer tutorial help turn something complex into something simple,” said Mikael Nerde, Head of Developer Program & Content Planning at Sony Ericsson.

The step-by-step tutorial, including code samples for creating Web Services for UIQ 3 phones, walks users through the simple process for getting a gSOAP Symbian OS application working on the UIQ 3 platform. In a few easy-to-follow guidelines, the tutorial outlines how to use the gSOAP runtime and accompanying tools to consume a web service. As a result, developers can quickly and cost-effectively create a range of Web Service enabled applications on Sony Ericsson’s P990 smartphone, W950 Walkman® and M600 messaging device. The included example demonstrates how to use Google to provide basic search functionality.

Since mid-2005, Sony Ericsson has provided a toolkit for the standard JSR-172 Web Services API supported on Sony Ericsson’s mass-market feature phones as part of the Sony Ericsson SDK for the Java ME platform.

Mikael Nerde concluded, “Our complete package for Web Services development, whether developing with the C++ or Java programming languages, will allow the mobile handset to become a driver for innovative anytime, anywhere software applications.”

For further information and to download the new Web Services for UIQ 3 tutorial package, please visit the Sony Ericsson Developer World portal at www.sonyericsson.com/developer and click on Docs & Tools -> Tutorials.