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In the world of open access, operators need to find a middle way between being just a pipe, and the tightly controlled software experience they have been used to offering. This is making them increasingly interested in forming developer communities to create applications that may help their brands and services stand out even in the open internet world. App stores, widgets, tailored user interfaces are all appearing, and the US operators have been moving at a rapid rate to build up the kind of developer support usually seen in Japan or Korea. Java is an important technology for addressing the broad developer community, and both the US CDMA majors, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, were showing their support at this week's JavaOne show.

While much of the event's focus was on Oracle's pending acquisition of Java creator Sun, with the former's CEO Larry Ellison reassuring attendees that the platform would still be enhanced and supported, the wireless carriers highlighted how Java could give Oracle its first serious stake in the mobile world. Sun kicked off the show with an announcement from Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam that, in line with a line of open developer initiatives over the past year, the US number one will open its network further to programmers. McAdam issued an invitation to Java developers to attend a Silicon Valley conference on July 28, and said: "What we've decided to do is open up our network elements ... We'll be publishing the specifications and let you know how we can make it easier to bring apps to Verizon." Traditionally, Verizon has supported Qualcomm Brew as its main content technology (and will continue to use Brew) - although this supports Java apps, it is largely a closed carrier platform.

Meanwhile, Sprint, already a participant in the Silicon Valley 'sandbox' of its Clearwire joint venture, has now launched its own Sprint Developer Sandbox for Java, aiming to ensure that Verizon's open development activities do not hog all the limelight among mobile programmers.

Announced at JavaOne, this initiative comes a year after Sprint first made a major commitment to Java, announcing a new platform geared to expanding the range of open access programs. At last year's JavaOne, it showed off a revamped developer program and an upgraded toolkit along with Titan, a platform aimed at "opening the door to millions of developers who have traditionally designed for a desktop environment".

Now it is going a stage further with the sandbox, which promises access to tools to enable more efficient creation of apps - like Verizon, Sprint sees location-based services, presence and messaging as key areas of differentiation, and ones where programmers need access to carrier tools and features. The free sandbox program is available to all Sprint registered developers and the first element on offer will be the Network and Product Services Sandbox. This promises an easy-to-use format enabling programmers to mash-up existing Sprint services with third party offerings to create new web pages and apps. The operator plans to introduce additional sandboxes that highlight other specific sets of development capabilities.

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