Aplix Develops a Unique Virtualization Technology to Enhance Secure Execution of Native Code Applications

Aplix Develops a Unique Virtualization Technology to Enhance Secure Execution of Native Code Applications

October 24, 2006

A New OS Independent User-Space Virtualization Technology - Allows Better Control Over the Access of Resources in A Multi-Tasking Environment, and Supporting the Security Needs of the Next Generation Information Appliances

    TOKYO, Oct. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Aplix Corporation
(TSE: 3727) today unveiled its newly developed
patent-pending user-space virtualization technology that
can dynamically generate virtual execution spaces for
native applications running on information appliances.

    (Image 1.1: Dynamically generate virtual execution
space for any user applications.  Please visit
http://www.aplixcorp.com/en/images/release/usvm-1.jpg to
view diagram.)

    In recent years, computer viruses and spyware have
proliferated in the mobile space via the Internet, which
has prompted the industry to develop different security
mechanisms based on the platform it has targeted.  Compared
the solutions available thus far, this new user-space
virtualization technology is unique in several aspects:

    -- It automatically creates a virtual execution space
for any native 
       application, restricting the application from
directly accessing the 
       underlying operating system, thus providing a secure
environment for 
       the running application.

    -- While it is as secure as the Java(TM) execution
environment, it is 
       lightweight with fast execution speed as it traps
only a limited 
       number of instructions.

    -- It is OS independent as it does not rely on the
underlying 
       architecture of the operating system, thus can
support Linux, 
       Windows Mobile, Symbian, BREW, and many others.

    -- Compared to the conventional OS, where means of
permission is limited 
       to statically preset file access with an associated
user-id, user-
       space virtualization allows for a very flexible
configuration to 
       control the usage of any system services/resources
(e.g. communication 
       bandwidth, file usage, display access, etc) per
application, and can 
       be easily modified by downloading a description
file.

    -- It operates in "user-mode" to enable
application-level deployment, 
       making security policies modifiable via OTA.

    -- It does not need to call any security functions nor
be pre-processed 
       with the security systems already in place, thus
current applications 
       can be executed without any modification.

    In today's mobile networks, Operators often enforce a
set of pre-defined rules for the access of system resources
on the network devices when distributing applications over
its network. In light of this, user-space virtualization
technology aims to bring a common security platform by
providing a reference implementation that is coherent
across different system platforms.

    Architecture
    (Image 1.2: Architecture Diagram. Please visit
http://www.aplixcorp.com/en/images/release/usvm-2.jpg to
view the diagram.) 

    The user-space virtualization technology is comprised
of a number of different functions, such as user-space
virtual machine, state machine and security manager.  When
an application is executed, the user-space virtual machine
scans the binary code to detect any security-sensitive
code.  If any dubious code is found, the user space virtual
machine generates the safe code.  The generated safe code
calls to the security manager that to check whether the
code should be granted the access to the system resources.


    The reference implementation and architecture of this
technology is applicable to any CPU architecture, and
compatible to Java runtime environment, BREW, Linux,
Symbian platform security, and others.  Aplix plans to
license this technology as part of its platform solution
and also provide technology license for a broad range of
devices.

    Aplix CTO Ryu Koriyama says, "In the next
generation of data device platforms, the question of how we
can ensure security is an extremely important issue.  I
think the security technology we provide for the execution
of innovative applications may prove to be the basis of a
solution.  Our user-space virtualization technology can be
installed in almost all data device platforms currently
available, creating value by enabling the construction of a
safe environment for application execution."

    About Aplix Corporation

    Aplix Corporation is the global leader in deploying
Java technology in mobile phones.  Aplix was first
established in 1986 and has been a Sun Java licensee since
1996.  Aplix was publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange (Mothers) in 2003.  On August 24, 2004 Aplix and
the Taiwan based company iaSolution finalized the
integration of the corporations. 

    Headquarters: Tokyo
    Other offices: San Francisco, Munich, Taipei, Shanghai,
Beijing, and Seongnam and Seoul 

    For more information, please visit:
http://www.aplixcorp.com/ and http://www.iasolution.net/ .

    -- Java and all other Java-based marks are trademarks
or registered 
        trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United
States and 
        other countries.
    -- All other product or service names are the property
of their 
        respective owners.

    For more information, please contact: 
  
     Maggie Zhang 
     Aplix Corporation 
     Tel:   [phone] 
     Email: [e-mail]     
     Web:   http://www.aplixcorp.com  

SOURCE  Aplix Corporation