24 Mar 09 Rhomobile Unveils Rhodes 1.0 Open Source Framework

This should be a big boost for mobile app developers. Rhomobile today announced the release of Rhodes 1.0, the industry’s first open source framework for rapidly building mobile applications for all major smartphone operating systems.

Rhodes allows developers to write a smartphone application once using simple HTML and it automatically builds native applications for all smartphones including iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and now Android.

By enabling developers to code smartphone applications in HTML instead of in diverse and complex native device operating system languages, Rhodes reduces development costs by up to five times and eliminates the need to develop specific applications for each mobile OS. Rhodes’ unique framework allows for creation of robust mobile applications that can take full advantage of smartphone capabilities such as GPS, PIM data and camera.

Rhodes is ideal for mobile applications that require interaction with hosted enterprise application (SaaS) backends like CRM and ERP and allows the user to work offline with synchronized local data.

Rhodes Features:

• Makes developers five times more productive for even a single smartphone OS
• Allows developers to write apps in HTML and simultaneously build for all smartphones
• Supports iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android
• Features the world’s first Ruby implementations for all of those smartphones
• Full access to device capabilities: GPS, PIM contacts, camera
• Allows users to work with synced local data for rapid access and ease of operation when disconnected or offline
• Available as open source realtime on public repositories

Rhodes is available under unique and flexible pricing options suitable for a range of smartphone application efforts providing low cost options for the enterprise to enable their mobile workforce and encouraging entrepreneurial innovation. Rhomobile offers dual licensing under GPLv3 for open source apps and commercial licensing options for enterprises and ISVs.

The Rhodes framework is now available here.

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Tags: application efforts, device capabilities, enterprise application, entrepreneurial innovation, gplv3, iPhone, mobile applications, mobile os, mobile workforce, open source apps, open source framework, pricing options, rapid access, smartphone, smartphones, system languages