Nokia and Vodafone have begun a mobile service architecture initiative to help define the next generation of mobile Java standards.

The companies said they would include "other leading mobile device manufacturers" in their scheme, which will develop draft specifications within the Java Community Process.

The J2ME Executive Committee has already approved the first Java Specification Requests (JSRs) from this initiative.

JSRs 248 and 249 - designed to enable application compatibility across multi-vendor mobile devices - will not introduce any new application programming interface (API) specifications, but will include a number of enhanced-component JSRs and clarifications to existing specifications to define a consistent Java API services architecture.

As the specifications leads, Nokia and Vodafone - in conjunction with Sun Microsystems - will define the licensing framework of the initiative. The role of creating and licensing the Technology Compatibility Kits (TCKs) for JSR 248 and 249 will be undertaken by Sun.

Other representatives of the mobile industry, including Orange, Siemens, Sony Ericsson and T-Mobile International, have pledged their support.

The initiative will be aligned and coordinated with organisations such as the OSGi Alliance, the Open Mobile Alliance, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform and the World Wide Web Consortium to specify the requirements and the capabilities of the platform.

John Jackson, a senior analyst with Yankee Group, commented in a statement: "This initiative extends the foundation of JTWI [Java Technology for the Wireless Industry], taking important steps to align the CLDC [Connected Limited Device Configuration] and CDC [Connected Device Configuration] platform specifications and their future evolution under a simplified licensing structure.

"With the support of leading industry players in the mobile Java value chain, this initiative should offer greater consistency and continuity to developers and end-users. It's a significant step toward accelerating the development and distribution of more robust mobile applications."

"This initiative will significantly strengthen Java's leading position as the environment for powerful, state-of-the-art mobility solutions for both consumers and enterprises in the era of 3G," added Pertti Korhonen, chief technology officer at Nokia, in a statement.

Alan Brenner, vice president of Sun Microsystems, added: "Sun will develop and deliver the underlying TCKs and Reference Implementations for these new specifications.

"Together, we will build on the widely adopted JTWI specification and streamline the advancement of mobile Java technologies."

The participants of the initiative have committed to deploy the platform, and the first reference implementations are scheduled for next year.