Above shows how to - Integrate a SVG graphics player in just a few hours to the handset platform,and use it in the MMI design without programming.

Europe : Mobile device software specialist Digital Airways introduces KEELS (Kaleido External Engine Library Specification), an extension of its Kaleido MMI solution that allows for easy integration of third party multimedia components on 3G mobile phones.

Kaleido is a complete solution for handset manufacturers to create sophisticated man-machine interfaces quickly and easily. Kaleido is unique in the way it separates the MMI specification from its implementation. The MMI is fully specified with a configurable file, which is read and duly rendered by the MMI engine implemented on the handset. As a result, manufacturers dramatically reduce the cost and time-to-market of MMI design and implementation, while gaining complete flexibility to produce customized phones.

New generation MMI need specialized graphic and multimedia components such as animated vector graphics, video, and 3D players. In practice, however, integration to the manufacturer's platform proves difficult. According to Philippe Silberzahn, CEO of Digital Airways, "Each component has its own interface. This drives up engineering complexity and development cost."

This issue prompted Digital Airways to create KEELS, which provides a standardized interface for third-party multimedia components to the Kaleido MMI engine. Instead of porting the component to the handset’s platform, which can entail weeks of work, manufacturers only have to create a small Kaleido plug-in, which usually only takes a few hours. This approach leaves both the platform and the component untouched, ensuring quality and security.

With KEELS, the integration of multimedia components becomes as simple as the integration of a simple bitmap viewer. Adds Silberzahn: “Now, when they deploy our MMI solution, manufacturers are able to integrate multimedia players to their platform in a matter of hours.”

The addition of KEELS to Kaleido allows handset manufacturers to design new multimedia handsets with sophisticated user interfaces using high-end software components. It creates new user experiences, while reducing integration costs and accelerating time-to-market.

KEELS is available immediately.