Case Study 2 : J2ME/Java ME Port for Mobile Application
Application : TIPS Mobile Video Player - Publisher: Teknik Digital
"Working with The Porting Lab at Chakra was an excellect first experience into building and porting our J2ME/Java ME games. They maintain good communication and milestone deliveries are on time. Feedback is addressed quickly with creative and productive solutions and the end product turned out better than we had planned. These are "the buck stops here" kind of people, and I would recommend them to anyone seeking mobile development or porting services."
- Corey Comstock, Prior Creative Director , Teknik Digital

The TIPS Player

Applications are generally considered easier to port because they generally tend to have lesser graphical content. However, the TIPS mobile player was just the opposite.

TIPS player is a technologically advanced mobile application that can play flash data - that is downloaded over-the-air via the player itself. Downloaded content is stored into the devices local memory and played on the users demand.

The application is highly graphical and was coded initially in J2ME/Java ME using many closed tools and libraries. The reference build was coded for Nokia 40 series and 60 series - heavily using Nokia APIs and making it almost impossible to run on any other device in its raw form. To add to the challenge the code was not documented.

The Porting Lab took up the almost impossible project as a challenge and worked its way through broken networking libraries, device API dependence, undocumented code and closed tools to create ports in record possible time.

  

The Solution Offered

The Porting Lab offered a phased solution which was aimed towards increasing the porting quotient of the source build, and then porting it onto various devices as per the requirement specifications.

The porting lab executed the project in the following manner:
  • The Ring Communication Channel was established between all the parties.
  • The Modular Analysis Team was formed to concentrate on problem areas.
  • All reporting and bug tracking tools were put in place.
  • The Porting Team's recommendation report was implemented in steps.
  • The in-team QA monitored the development in every stage to reduce the turn-around time.
  • PM to PM meetings were held frequently, with regular exchange of reports on the project progress.
  • The solution was successfully executed to the client's satisfaction in record time.
Benefits

  • Regular updates provided and remote tracking of project by client ensured.
  • A workforce with experience of more than 100 ports - at that time.
  • Cross platform solution under one roof.
  • Ability to work even with closed tools, if so required by the client.

 
The TIPS player playing a Flash Video The TIPS player GUI