Sony Ericsson today announced plans to extend its mobile Java™ Platform into its entry 3G mobile phone portfolio. This means that games, applications and content developed on the Sony Ericsson Java™ platform will provide a compelling business opportunity for developers who can now extend content creation for consumers in the entry 3G segment, widely recognised as a future growth area of the market.

“Sony Ericsson has made significant investments in the development of its mobile Java Platform, which has enabled an exceptional user-experience and consistent performance. We are confident that extending the Java Platform to a much larger global market will encourage developers to drive innovation and create richer user experiences for our customers,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Corporate Vice President and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson has enjoyed significant success with feature-rich 3G phones due to the richness and consistent performance of Java™. Transferring this fully developed platform into cost-efficient 3G devices will be an important element of Sony Ericsson’s business strategy, particularly with regards to targeting growth in key emerging markets such as China as they roll-out new 3G networks.

As a leader in communication entertainment and particularly Java gaming, Sony Ericsson is broadening the market for developers to build applications on one of the most robust and flexible environments in the industry. Sony Ericsson’s accumulated mobile Java knowledge and investments, which have enabled the continuous differentiation and evolution of Walkman™ and Cyber-shot™ phones, is the basis for this new strategic direction. Sony Ericsson’s aim is to grow its share of the 3G Java phone market as the Java platform JP 8.5 with its rich feature support becomes available.

Sony Ericsson consumers who experience 3G phones for the first time will enjoy a far greater variety of content and applications, in the affordable entry segment than ever before.