Metrowerks has announced the availability of CodeWarrior Development Suite for Symbian OS Professional Edition, Version 2.0.

The development tool is the first to support on-device debugging for handsets running Symbian OS 7.0. SonyEricsson’s P800 is the first smartphone to use the latest version of the Symbian platform, but several other licensees, including Metrowerk’s parent Motorola, are thought to have devices in development. Metrowerks has already established a partnership with SonyEricsson to support developers creating applications for the UIQ interface platform, a pen-driven system which is seen as a rival to Nokia’s popular Series 60 interface.

“Legacy tooling for Symbian OS relied on loose integration of off-the-shelf products. CodeWarrior for Symbian OS, developed by Metrowerks in partnership with Symbian, boosts developer productivity by building Symbian OS support directly into the CodeWarrior IDE and debugger, and enhances hardware integration by working with Symbian’s semiconductor partners and phone manufacturer licensees to enable implementation of custom debug solutions,” said David Wood, executive vice president, partnering, evangelism and research, Symbian. “CodeWarrior Development Suite for Symbian OS, Professional Edition, Version 2.0 has better integration than ever before, in addition to general usability improvements delivered through an upgrade to the CodeWarrior IDE.”

John Smolucha, vice president of marketing, Metrowerks, added: “Our commitment to the professional wireless developer community is evident in our support for vital platforms like Symbian OS. Symbian OS is the smartphone platform choice of all the major mobile phone manufacturers, and CodeWarrior is the most advanced application development solution for software developers looking to deliver innovative applications for Symbian and other wireless devices. CodeWarrior for Symbian OS is a key element in our wireless business, which includes software and hardware development tools for industry leading platforms, and professional services for wireless software developers, mobile phone manufacturers and network operators that allow them to gain a critical competitive edge in today’s rapidly changing wireless marketplace.”

Insight

Metrowerks is playing a key role in the development of the next generation wireless devices using both the Palm and Symbian operating systems. Its CodeWarrior development tools have become the defacto standard for serious mobile developers. It is also working closely with individual manufacturers to create communities around particular devices and platforms, enabling companies like SonyEricsson and Motorola to outsource developer support operations.