Software licence management specialist Freeform has developed a
system that allows application providers to sell and register
software for mobile devices without the buyer having to visit the
point of sale, writes Antony Adshead.
Freeform's Share allows the tracking and enforcement of
registration during the transfer of Palm OS or J2ME (Java 2 Micro
edition) software between devices. The technology essentially
allows content providers to embed code in applications so that sale
and registration can be carried out without the use of a
traditional sales channel.
At present, to purchase software for handheld devices it is
necessary to synchronise the device with a PC and search through
large numbers of products and version numbers. With Share you can
instantly transfer software from one mobile device to another -
when, for example, someone wants to beam an application to a
colleague - and then register the software via a mobile phone call.
Software embedded in the application will be able to tell when the
application has moved to an unknown mobile phone or handheld
device, and will prevent it from being activated until it has been
registered.
Registration can be done by mobile phone connection to an
application supplier using Freeform Share Enterprise Edition or via
Freeform, which will act as a broker for the transaction.