But much more significant, perhaps, is this week's announcement by Sun's wireless supremo, Juan Dewar, of a major strategic leap forward - namely the alliance between Sun and Texas Instruments through which, by Q2 of 2004, TI will begin selling Java-integrated TCS chipsets and OMAP applications processors. In other words, Sun and TI will henceforth be making sure that Java is integrated on chips before they even go to the handset makers

Dewar reminds us that 70 carriers are already Java-enabled, including Vodafone - the very carrier Microsoft has also now cozied up to, offering Web services on the Vodafone network in an attempt to make mobile-to-Web services an industry standard.

Interoperability may be the name of the game, but Dewar is relying on Java's considerable head start in the race to wireless. In particular "Java Gaming" has become almost a household term, driving the majority of downloads and earmarking the Java platform as one that carriers and end users alike can depend upon.