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The Framework implements an elegant, complete, and dynamic component model . ApplicationIn general, an application is using something general to some more conrete. For example: applied science. In business, an application is call for a job. In computing, an application is software application See also: application server.s (called bundleIn mathematics, a bundle is a generalization of a fiber bundle dropping the condition of a local product structure. Bundles (mathematics).s) can be remotely installed, started, stopped, updated and uninstalled without requiring a rebootReboot in computing is either a hard reboot (cold boot) or soft reboot (warm boot) of a computer. Reboot in series fiction, means to discard all previous continuity and start anew. ReBoot is a computer animated television series. (management of Java packageIn the Java programming language, a package is a group of related classes and interfaces. Packages in Java have a close correspondence to packages in the UML; they are less closely related to namespaces in C++. Although it is conventional to name Java pacs/ classIn object-oriented programming, a class consists of encapsulated instance variables and subprograms, the methods mentioned below. A Class describes the rules by which objects behave; these objects are referred to as " instances" of that class. A class spees is specified in painstaking detail). Life cycle management is defined in APIs which allows the remote downloading of management policies. The service registry allows bundles to detect new services, or the going away of services, and adapt accordingly.
The original focus was on Service Gateway s but the applicability turned out to be much wider. The OSGi specifications are now used from mobile phones to the new version of the open source Eclipse IDE (which now includes an open source compliant version of IBM's OSGi framework called SMF). The application areas of the OSGi Service Platform are: Service gateway s, cars, Mobile telephony, industrial automation, building automation , PDAs, grid computing, white good s (e.g. BSH), entertainment (e.g. iPronto ), fleet management , and IDEs.
Specifications are developed by the members in an open process and made available to the public free of charge and without licensing condition s. The OSGi Alliance has a compliance program that is open to members only. Currently 12 compliant implementations exist.
In 2003 Eclipse selected OSGi as the underlying runtime for their plugin architecture. The Equinox project experimented with this idea and built the runtime for Eclipse R3 which has now been officially released (June 2004).
In October 2003, Nokia, Motorola, ProSyst Software AG and other OSGi members formed a Mobile Expert Group (MEG) that will specify a service platform for the next generation of smart mobile phones, addressing some of the needs that MIDP cannot manage.