"Community involvement is key to the strength of the NetBeans platform," said Sun's Laurie Tolson, VP of the Java Developer Platforms Group, as Sun yesterday announced the availability of source code for NetBeans Mobility Pack and NetBeans Mobility Pack for CDC (Connected Device Configuration), which will be released under the OSI-compliant Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL).

Java ME development tools represent the cutting edge in mobile Java development and boasts unique visual authoring features that can simplify and speed the creation of applications for the vast majority of mobile devices. Developers, tool vendors, mobile operators and device manufacturers can get involved in the open source project immediately. On the Net: http://mobility.netbeans.org/.

"We are experiencing continued excitement for some of the industry's most innovative mobile developer products. We believe by open- sourcing the code, it will attract even more developers to embrace the platform; thus strengthening the community," Tolson continued.

The NetBeans Mobility Pack was quickly recognized as a leading mobile IDE, he noted, and has been leveraged by Java ME developers and leaders including Sprint, SonyEricsson and Ricoh.

Based on the NetBeans IDE, the Mobility Pack includes key features including end-to-end application development, device optimization and porting solutions and an Ant-based build system. With a highly customizable and open platform, the Mobility Pack is a great productivity enhancer for developers new to Java ME or those with years of experience.

NetBeans Mobility Pack for CDC is a new addition to the NetBeans portfolio. The Mobility Pack for CDC allows Java ME developers to use the Matisse graphical layout system to create mobile Java applications for devices supporting the Connected Device Configuration version of Java ME, which offers a more powerful programming and runtime environment.