Qualcomm releases new-look BREW SDK

Qualcomm's mission to embrace the wider world of mobile outside of its traditional CDMA base continues apace with today's release of its BREW Mobile Platform SDK.

Traditionally, deployment of BREW-based mobile content services has been limited to operators using CDMA network technologies and mostly characterised by a walled-garden approach.

BREW Mobile Platform, however, is Qualcomm's nod to macro changes in the market towards more 'open' approaches, both in terms of end-user services and the technologies/software that power them (Android, Symbian, etc).

Specifically, Qualcomm's says the new SDK is a more open and flexible development environment than before, enabling developers to create new apps, widgets and UIs for mass-market handsets and mobile devices.

Building on announcements at its BREW dev conference earlier this year, Qualcomm has confirmed BREW Mobile Platform also integrates closely with Adobe Flash, thus in theory attracting content creators from the online space to its platform.

The Brew Mobile Platform SDK is available for developers to download at no incremental cost.

Steve Sprigg, SVP of engineering for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, said: “The Brew Mobile Platform SDK bridges the gap between the mobile application and Web development communities. With the Brew MP SDK, Flash developers can use familiar and powerful Adobe tools to publish compelling mobile applications quickly and easily for mass-market handsets used by mobile consumers worldwide.”