Leading Handset Manufacturers To Support The Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) Initiative

LG, RIM, Samsung and Sharp agree to support the Joint Innovation Lab widget specification enabling development of compelling mobile internet services.

The Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) today announces that leading handset manufacturers LG Electronics (LG), Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung) and Sharp Corporation (Sharp) will support the JIL widget specification in future mobile handsets from Q1 2010.

The launch of a wide range of JIL widget compliant handsets will enable developers to create applications that can be rolled out to customers across the JIL member companies of China Mobile, SOFTBANK, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, who have a combined user base of more than 1 billion across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Customers will benefit from having a wide range of useful and innovative mobile applications to choose from.

While JIL compliant handsets have launched in some European countries and China, this is the first time that major handset manufacturers have committed to global adoption of the JIL widget standard across devices.

“The decision of LG, RIM, Samsung and Sharp to incorporate the JIL widget specifications in their future product roadmap is proof of the tremendous potential that JIL offers both to developers and customers,” said Peters Suh, JIL CEO. “All four companies are innovation leaders and this is another strong affirmation of both JIL strategy and its robust technical specifications.”

JIL is a joint venture involving China Mobile, SOFTBANK, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone established in 2008 to promote the development of new mobile technologies, applications and services. Its focus has been to create a single global platform for developers to encourage the creation of a wide range of innovative and useful mobile widgets. These mobile widgets will be capable of enhancing the mobile internet experience for customers on a variety of smartphones as well as mid- and low-cost handsets across several operating systems and distributed through JIL operators’ applications stores.

JIL has developed a platform for mobile widgets centred around mobile operators’ unique capabilities which enables the developer community to develop applications for all types of handsets as well as give customers access to a range of compelling, rich internet services.