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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Developnet builds innovative Java mobile platform for prime-time BBC TV show
19 April 2004 – York, UK
The BBC has launched a live interactive game show, called "Come and Have a Go… If You Think
You're Smart Enough" (airs on BBC One on Saturday nights).
The new show is significant as it is the first game show from the BBC to allow viewers to interact via
their mobile phones using a Java application. The Java application enables interactivity through a
solution developed by Developnet, a leading J2ME solutions provider based in the UK.
Developnet has developed a J2ME application, which is delivered via WAP Push to a player's Javaenabled
mobile phone. To support the J2ME application, Developnet has built a highly scalable multithreaded
J2EE server application, which is hosted on the Internet.
Several million viewers regularly watch the show on television. Therefore, the solution is built to scale
in a linear fashion both horizontally and vertically to support the hundreds of thousands of potential
mobile players. The technology is also completely secure, with all data transmissions between client
and server being encrypted.
At the beginning of the quiz when the J2ME application is started, it connects briefly to the J2EE
server to ensure that the mobile phone is synchronized with the broadcast.
During the quiz, the J2ME application operates in a disconnected fashion, thus minimizing call
charges for the player.
At the end of the quiz, the J2ME application submits the players answers to the server. Developnet
has implemented specialist techniques within the J2ME application which ensure the network load is
spread, thus preventing overloading of the mobile network infrastructure. The server calculates their
score and responds in real-time, giving the player immediate feedback of their score and whether they
are eligible for a chance to win the £30,000 cash prize.
Michael Taylor, Founder and Managing Director of Developnet, said: "This was an exciting and
ground-breaking project which we are delighted has been a success for the BBC. The enhanced user
experience provided by Java opens the door for more complex and compelling interactive applications
on mobile phones."
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