US : Webtide, the main developer of leading open source HTTP server and Java web container, Jetty, announced that it has developed the first web and application server designed specifically to operate on Google’s Android mobile platform.

Android is a freely downloadable open source software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications based on Linux and Java.

The port of Jetty on Android is named i-Jetty. The Jetty servlet on Android allows users to serve data stored on the phone such as contact details, system settings and call log within a browser window. It also adds functionality that will let users modify and save changes, view and listen to multimedia files and make phone calls. The goal of these features is to let users access the information on their phones from more familiar web browsers running on their usual computers over wifi, Bluetooth and 3G networks.

Adam Lieber, CEO of Webtide said: “This represents yet another emphatic validation of Jetty's architecture and scalability. Jetty's small footprint has always been attractive to embedded device developers, and now with a Jetty server available on Android, we can truly claim to run on the gamut of computing environments – all the way from mobile devices to high-end server hardware. We look forward to working with the growing Android community.”

Jan Bartel, Chief Engineer of Webtide, said, “It has been exciting to port Jetty to the Android platform, and our modular architecture has certainly made the task go smoothly. I look forward to a Jetty/Android environment inspiring many innovative applications.”

Google developed Android collaboratively as part of the Open Handset Alliance, a group of 30+ mobile and technology companies working to open up the mobile handset environment.

Android’s development kit supports many of the standard packages used by Jetty, and so due to that fact and Jetty’s modularity and lightweight footprint, it was possible to port Jetty to it so that it will be able to run on the Android platform.

i-Jetty will be available on Google Code at: http://code.google.com/p/i-jetty/