The OMTP (Open Terminal Mobile Platform) has announced Version 1.1 of  its BONDI terminal initiative. OMTP says the final release of version 1.1 cements over six months of industry feedback on the previous version 1.01 and significantly improves the specifications to enable commercial implementations of BONDI to prosper during 2010.
A key feature of the 1.1 release is its compliance to the W3C Widgets: Packaging and Compliance specification. The new version also improves the usability of the BONDI security mechanisms and provides enhancements to a range of the BONDI APIs. As a W3C member, OMTP has already submitted preliminary versions of BONDI into W3C.
OMTP notes that in less than two years, BONDI has emerged as the application runtime for mobile devices, and is supported by key operators and vendors around the world. It adds that it provides the opportunity for a real cross-platform environment for the deployment of web based applications, and says that developers will benefit from attractive features and consistent terminal implementations.
Work within OMTP is already commencing on version 1.5 of BONDI, which will introduce access to a new set of features to the online web development community. Developers in the future will have access to functions such as smartcard features, phone functionalities, sensors and Bluetooth connectivity. Version 1.5 is expected to have its candidate release in spring 2010.
This new release has taken much industry feedback to produce specifications and a reference implementation which become the new baseline for BONDI implementations. Says OMTP Managing Director, Tim Raby. We are constantly working on ways to develop the specification so that developers can truly benefit from further enhanced features and consistent environments, driving the creation and uptake of exciting mobile services.