At the PalmSource Expo, Data Representations and Cingular built integrated server and Palm OS applications for attendees. Then they sent responses and requests via Palm.Net to a server based in New Jersey. The demonstration was designed to show how quickly and efficiently the network operates and how easy it is to program midlets and servlets in a J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) and J2EE (Java Enterprise Environment) using Simplicity for Mobile Servers rapid application development tools.

Midlets are the nickname for Java technology applications that run on wireless and mobile devices. Midlets are written to the MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) in the J2ME. You can download the development kit, and see specifications and other information at the J2ME technology page at http://java.sun.com/features/2001/06/golden.j2me.html.

During the demonstration, pulling inventory information from a JDBC (Java Data Base Connectivity) compliant database and returning XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to be parsed, cached, rendered, and displayed on a Palm i705 took only eight seconds or less on the Cingular Wireless Mobitex network. Simplicity wrote the application to use the network resources with the highest degree of efficiency.

Features
Simplicity for Mobile Servers consists of special versions of Simplicity Enterprise and Simplicity for Mobile Devices, and it comes with a built-in development server, thus leaving the mission critical server free from development chores. You can use it to add functionality to your servlets, including working with JDBC/ODBC (Java Data Base Connectivity/Open Data Base Connectivity) databases, XML documents, selecting form data, and interacting with Enterprise JavaBean Technology.

How it works
It has an open API (Application Programming Interface) that lets you create your own components for adding custom functionality to servlets. Simplicity works with a template engine, so you can separate markup page design from the program logic. Once completed, the application can be deployed onto an appropriate J2EE server. Component modules such as Form, DataBase, Table, EJB (Enterprise Java Beans), and XML Export are selected from a tool palette and then dragged and dropped onto the composer in a logical order.