Amid the growing attention to the iPhone and Android mobile platforms, the longterm player in the market Java got a boost today as the Eclipse Foundation has launched a revamped version of its Mobile Tools for Java (MTJ). The release brings EclipseME, an open-source Eclipse based mobile development environment under the umbrella of MTJ, moving the platform into the mainstream with support from major players such as Nokia and Motorola.

Java was the mobile development platform of choice for early mobile applications but the offerings from Apple and Google are drawing increasing attention from developers. Apple have actively rejected the idea of including Java support on the iPhone, but there might be more possibilities with Android which already uses Java - though not the ME project.

Either way, having a mobile development tool in an environment already familiar to enterprise developers can only reduce the barrier to entry as mobile development enters the mainstream.