If you're not in North America, BREW might not be familiar to you.  Qualcomm's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless is a C-based API for application development on mobile phones.  Qualcomm are the developers of CDMA (an alternative to GSM, used mainly in North America), and so BREW was initially unique to CDMA handsets.  BREW has been around since 2001.

As an API, BREW can be supported on any device.  There are, for example, Nokia Series 40 devices with BREW support.  But it is also supported directly through Qualcomm's BrewMP (BREW Mobile Platform) operating system.  Support for BREW and BrewMP is built into Qualcomm chipsets.  Qualcomm's ARM-based processors power a wide range of mobile devices.

Unlike the heavyweight operating systems of modern smartphones, BREW can be supported with a much lighter-weight implementation.  That, coupled with the ability to compile C to native ARM code, can result in higher performance than Java can achieve on the same hardware.

What's Interesting About BREW?

The BREW development process is very different from that of, say, Java.  The development kits are freely available, but before you can even install anything on your own phone, you must become an authenticated BREW developer.  This involves buying the ubiquitous Verisign signature, and so costs around $400.

Anything published must be certified and signed, without which an application cannot even be installed.  This requires submission to NSTL for TrueBREW Testing.  Last time I checked, this cost about $1000 for an initial test.  Having a build that has already passed for one device retested on another device has a lower cost, around $250.

The need for extensive testing comes from the ability of a BREW application to work at a low-level, without any sandboxing or other constraints.

With these high barriers to entry, you'd wonder why anyone would be interested.  The interesting part is that BREW provides a standardized delivery system for applications.

Once certified, an application is available from Qualcomm's servers.  Individual operators provide their customers with access to this, filtering only the content they wish to offer.  Operators can restrict access to any content that does not fit with their own brand image.  Operators like this kind of control.  Meanwhile, developers have a single marketplace that can potentially give them access to every BREW device in the world.  End users get games and applications that have all passed strict quality standards.

Qualcomm claim that BREW developers have netted $2 billion, as of March 2009.

Verizon Go Java

US network operator Verizon have historically been the biggest market for BREW devices and applications.  But at JavaOne this year, they announced that they will be opening up to the Java developer community.

The Death of BREW?

BREW's demise has been predicted by many for a couple of years now, and Verizon's change in strategy sounds very much like a vigorous nailing of the coffin lid.

But, at the same time, we're entering the Age of The Appstore, and the appstore is a concept Qualcomm pretty much invented.

Today, everyone wants "the iPhone experience".  But we all define that experience in our own way.  For some, it's the user interface.  For others, it means nothing more than having a touch screen.  Apple is pushing apps very hard as a key part of the experience.

An important aspect is: a lot of people who want the iPhone experience cannot afford an $800 handset.

BREW's ability to support limited (read: "cheap") hardware, its large developer community, and its well-established delivery infrastructure, make it an ideal platform for providing a budget iPhone experience.

So, put down the hammer and fetch a mirror... there might just be signs of life yet...