5th
English support for DoCoMo and Softbank Developers
As DoCoMo move into markets outside of Japan including India, Taiwan, and possibly even the USA one would assume the number of non Japanese developers to be on the rise.
As a non Japanese developer working in Japan I constantly refer to Japanese API specifications and communicate with my peers in Japanese when developing applications for the latest i-mode and Softbank terminals. But for non Japanese speaking developers the lack of current documentation and support from the carriers in languages other than Japanese has been a major deterrent.
Even as an experienced Japanese speaking developer there are times when I like to throw around ideas with other DoJa developers in my native language. Unfortunately finding quality, experienced, English speaking DoJa engineers willing to share their knowledge had been almost impossible. With past failures of i-mode to gain market share in Europe the number of English speaking developers has been on the decline.
Despite this a handful of English speaking DoJa and Softbank developers within, and outside of, Japan have been supporting each other, sharing experiences, and offering advice, via the Mobile Developer Lab group and companion website.
The Mobile Developer Lab was launched in 2006 as a forum where developers working on applications for Japanese mobile devices, and the Japanese market could meet, exchange ideas, ask questions and provide support to other developers. The group is small, the traffic low, but core members have extensive commercial experience developing mobile applications for the Japanese market and are keen to share their knowledge with others.
If you’re an experienced mobile developer, or a newcomer to the field, interested in developing applications for Japanese handsets that utilize Docomo’s DoJa or Softbank’s JSCL API, as the Japanese carriers make moves into foreign markets, then I’d highly recommend becoming an active member of the Mobile Developer Lab group.
