Last month I introduced the 2005 ratified ballot nominees for the JCP ECs. Meanwhile ratified voting concluded on October 17 and results confirmed all nominees: BEA Systems, SAP AG, and SAS Institute for the Standard/Enterprise Edition Executive Committee; and Nokia Corporation, IBM, and Philips Electronics UK for the Micro Edition Executive Committee. Congratulations to all and a warm welcome to new EC member SAS. You'll find more details about this round of elections at www.jcpelection2005.org/jcp/ratification_results.

What's next? Open nominations are now under way and run until the end of October. This year there are two seats available on the SE/EE EC and two seats available on the ME EC. Several companies and individual developers have already self-nominated to participate in open elections and I'd like to introduce them to you as candidates for the JCP ECs. First those for the JCP SE/EE Executive Committee.

Intel Corporation has participated in 14 JSRs: JSR 277 - Java Module System, JSR 271 - Mobile Information Device Profile 3, JSR 253 - Mobile Telephony API (MTA), JSR 250 - Common Annotations for the Java Platform, JSR 218 - Connected Device Configuration 1.1, JSR 217 - Personal Basis Profile 1.1, JSR 209 - Advanced Graphics and User Interface Optional Package for the J2ME Platform, JSR 205 - Wireless Messaging API 2.0, JSR 184 - Mobile 3D Graphics API for J2ME, JSR 179 - Location API for J2ME, JSR 174 - Monitoring and Management Specification for the Java Virtual Machine, JSR 163 - Java Platform Profiling Architecture, and JSR 113 - Java Speech API 2.0.

In support of its candidature, Intel also brings its leadership in microprocessor innovation and other cutting-edge technologies in the vast array of devices and computing platforms to where the Java platform is being deployed. These include multi-core and threading, wireless and wired networking, and semiconductor devices for embedded controllers, mobile phones, PDAs, set-top boxes, laptops, PCs, servers, and supercomputers.

IONA Technologies has been an elected member of the JCP SE/EE Executive Committee since 2000. It contributed to over 40 JSRs including JSR 215 - Java Community Process version 2.6, JSR 261 - Java API for XML-based Web Services Addressing (JAX-WSA), and JSR 265 - API for Utilizing Web Services Policy. Its EC representatives have worked closely with Intel and Sun to formulate the procedures now adopted by the EC for running an EC meeting. The company helped evolve the JCP program to version 2.6, which requires of members more transparency in the development process, encourages more community involvement, and helps move specifications more quickly through the process.

EMC Corporation brings, in support of its self-nomination, its broad expertise in developing products, services, and solutions for information storage, its participation in industry bodies that develop open standards to facilitate interoperability including its contributions to the JCP through EMC Documentum. EMC participates in a number of JCP JSRs, most important of which are JSR 170 - Content Management, JSR 168 - Portlets, JSR 283 - Content Repository, and JSR 127 - Faces. In some of these the company participated as formal members of the expert committees and on others as contributors. EMC plans to leverage the acknowledged technical expertise in systems management within its SMARTS division to broaden its participation in JSRs in this area as well.

The self-nominations for the JCP ME EC are:
Aplix Corporation comes with extensive JCP experience through its Expert Group participation in JSRs including JSR 118 - Mobile Information Device Profile 2.0, JSR 220 - Enterprise JavaBeans 3.0, JSR 135 - Mobile Media API, JSR 139 - Connected Limited Device Configuration 1.1, JSR 172 - J2ME Web Services Specification, JSR 179 - Location API for J2ME, JSR 180 - SIP API for J2ME, JSR 184 - Mobile 3D Graphics API for J2ME, JSR 185 - Java Technology for the Wireless Industry, JSR 195 - Information Module Profile, JSR 205 - Wireless Messaging API 2.0, JSR 211 - Content Handler API, JSR 226 - Scalable 2D Vector Graphics API for J2ME, JSR 228 - Information Module Profile - Next Generation (IMP-NG), JSR 229 - Payment API, JSR 230 - Data Sync API, JSR 232 - Mobile Operational Management, JSR 233 - J2EE Mobile Device Management and Monitoring Specification, JSR 234 - Advanced Multimedia Supplements, JSR 239 - Java Bindings for OpenGL ES, JSR 246 - Device Management API, and JSR 271 - Mobile Information Device Profile 3. The company quotes its global leadership in deploying Java technology in mobile phones with over 129 million mobile phones and consumer electronics devices as of the end of June 2005. The Aplix implementation of a Java Runtime Environment for devices has been licensed by over 30 handset manufacturers and deployed in over 250 phone models offered by wireless operators around the world. Aplix became a Sun Java license in 1996 and has been a JCP member since 2000.

BenQ Corporation - on October 1, 2005, Siemens Mobile Devices, a division of Siemens AG, officially became a new business group of BenQ Corporation. BenQ is one of the world's top producers of digital displays, mobile phones, scanners, and keyboards and a technology leader in digital projectors, storage devices, wireless technologies, and electronic components. The nine Java ME spec leaderships have transferred from Siemens to BenQ Mobile, which makes BenQ Mobile the number three top Java ME spec leads contributor after Sun Microsystems and Nokia. The skills and experience that come with the spec leaderships from Siemens are met by the BenQ traditional Java skills and experience, resulting into a robust Java team.

Cox Communications, Inc., is one of the leading North American cable system operators with over 6.6 million customer households. The company is in the process of a multi-year deployment of JSR 242 and the Open Cable Applications Platform (based on CDC Personal Basis Profile) throughout its entire network. Cox is a member and active participant in many industry standards bodies including JCP, ATSC, CableLabs, CEA, DVB, IETF, SCTE, and SMPTE. Cox is the specification lead for JSR 242, which recently completed its Final Approval Ballot and a long-time observer status member of JME EC and JSRs.

Established in 1958, LG Electronics, Inc., is one of the world's major forces in developing leading-edge digital convergence technology and products in electronics and mobile communications. As a world-class mobile handset and consumer electronics manufacturer, LG Electronics has entered the open nominations ready and willing to contribute its expertise for technical innovations in the JCP. LG Electronics also takes advantage of Java technologies to develop value-added products across its broad range of product line. For example, more than 30% of LG mobile phones are equipped with the Java platform. LG Electronics currently participates in JSR 271, JSR 272, and JSR 281 actively as well as JSR 256 and JSR 257 as an observer. LG Electronics has a strong will to lead technical innovation and contribute to the JCP by actively participating in and proposing valuable JSRs.

SiRF Technology is a global market and technology leader in location and wireless mobility technology. Since its founding in 1995, SiRF has been in the forefront of GPS technologies and has brought the benefits of wireless mobility to the masses by driving open standards, high-performance products, and lower price-points. SiRF is a strong advocate of Java standards in the location and wireless industry and maintains a large marketing and technical group to promote and implement Java standards globally across its large wireless operators and handset OEM customer base.

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is among the top five handset manufacturers in the world and deploys Java ME in most of its phones. The company plays an active role in the Java ME industry, working toward advancing Java ME technology to be the best open platform for application development on mobile devices. Sony Ericsson has been a member of Java ME EC since 2002 and has taken an active role in the ME Executive Committee, working together with the other members to ensure an open, well-managed community. The company has also been active in many JSR expert groups and contributed to the development of platform JSRs like JTWI and MSA. Its portfolio of contributions includes JSR 185 - Java Technology for the Wireless Industry, JSR 215 - Java Community Process version 2.6, JSR 216 - Personal Profile 1.1, JSR 217 - Personal Basis Profile 1.1, JSR 218 - Connected Device Configuration (CDC) 1.1, JSR 219 - Foundation Profile 1.1, and JSR 248 - Mobile Service Architecture for CLDC, and JSR 249 - Mobile Service Architecture for CDC. The company has implemented at least five new JSRs in its products this year including JSR 75 - PDA Optional Packages for the J2ME Platform, JSR 82 - Java APIs for Bluetooth, JSR 172 - J2ME Web Services Specification, JSR 184 - Mobile 3D Graphics API for J2ME, and JSR 205 - Wireless Messaging API 2.0.

Symbian Ltd is a software licensing company that develops and supplies the advanced, open standard operating system - Symbian OS - for data-enabled mobile phones. During the first half of 2005, 14.5 million phones using Symbian OS shipped worldwide, bringing the worldwide installed base to more than 39 million phones. Symbian provides an implementation of CLDC, MIDP2, and other JSRs with the OS. Symbian has a long history of active participation in the JCP and JSR specification process aimed at driving forward mobile Java standards and delivering optimized product quality implementations into smartphones.

More JCP members are expected to self-nominate before the close of open elections at the end of October. The elections ballot will open on November 1 and will run for 14 days. Check out details about the open nominations and the upcoming election ballot at https://www.jcpelection2005.org/jcp/nominate.

The race is on; don't miss the opportunity to cast your vote in support of the individual developer or company that you consider to be the best candidate for JCP ECs membership. And stay tuned for final election results in the next Java Developer's Journal issue!