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January 14, 2011
Kindle’s made-in-Israel story
Amazon’s e-reader was largely developed by a team in Herzliyah.
DAVID SHAMASH ISRAEL21C
It may be a surprise to many, but Amazon’s Kindle, one of the hottest up-and-coming gadgets, was largely developed in Israel. Windows, ICQ (known today as AOL Chat), anti-virus software, cellphone technology, you name it and Israel has had a hand in the development, if not the outright invention, of many of the most important tech components of modern life. And Israel’s high-tech brain trust is still brimming with ideas.
Amazon’s Kindle was largely developed in the heart of Israel’s high-tech centre in the Herzliyah industrial zone on the central coast.
“Four years ago, Amazon contacted Sun [which was acquired by Oracle last year] in California and said they wanted a small device that could be used to read e-books,” said Lilach Zipory, the leader of the team that helped develop the Kindle application. “They had already acquired the software to run it, but were looking for the right technical design, and especially a platform to run the software on. My team in Herzliyah is in charge of developing Java for small non-cellphone devices, so they gave us the project.”
It’s a history that wasn’t well known until recently, since Oracle chose not to reveal much about its role in the development of Kindle. Now, however, the company is talking – and Zipory’s team is receiving the much-deserved credit.
Not that the team was aware of the far-reaching implications of the project when they took it on. “We see a lot of small devices here, and they’re all very nice, but I would never have expected an e-book reader to take off like the Kindle did,” Zipory said.
Perhaps that’s because Kindle was not the first e-book reader and, as a technical expert, Zipory may not have realized the extent of Amazon’s willingness to invest in marketing the device. Still, Kindle would not have succeeded as it did if it wasn’t a top-functioning performer. And the credit for that performance success is based on the customized Java platform written in Israel by the Herzliyah team.
Zipory’s group has worked on a wide range of devices, from industrial valves to set-top boxes, so they took Kindle development in stride. One of the main goals was to develop a version of Java that would support Kindle’s electronic ink, one of the device’s greatest charms, said Eran Vanounou, director of the Oracle development office in Herzliyah.
“We were impressed with the business model for the device and the e-ink technology, and we decided to develop a version of Java to specifically support the Kindle,” he explained. A flexible platform, Java supports devices of all sorts, including most of the world’s cellphones, PC software, printers, industrial equipment and much more.
Most devices use “off-the-shelf” versions of Java, with programmers applying the components needed to run the device they are supporting, but in the case of Kindle, several deeper, driver-level adjustments were needed, Zipory clarified.
“We had to adjust the refresh rate of the operating system software to accommodate greyscale screens, which require more unique refreshing methodology than the normal color screens that most devices use today, and which the most up-to-date versions of Java are designed to support.”
The Herzliyah team worked with Amazon for several years on developing a prototype and, when they were satisfied, manufacturing commenced. “They initially ordered 100,000 pieces, and we were frankly skeptical they would sell all of them,” Vanounou said. “But when they sold out a couple of months later, we realized what we were involved with.”
The success of Kindle has, of course, been a source of pride for the Herzliyah team – and a boon for Oracle, whose Java, first developed by Sun and now bearing the Oracle brand name, has seen its status rise among developers.
“Of course, Java was well-known before,” said Vanounou. “But the Kindle gives us something new to show potential customers who are looking for an easy to use and [to] develop platform. It’s made Java cool all over again.
“As a platform technology, Java runs in the background, and it powers many important devices,” he continued. “We know there are many devices out there using our technology. Each device we develop and each partnership brings new successes, and new connections based on those successes. But the Kindle is different, because it’s such a phenomenon.”
Now when they travel, Vanounou and Zipory proudly look on as passengers on planes pull out their Kindles and start reading. “I was recently on a flight when a woman told me how her Kindle kept her entertained while she flew,” said Vanounou. “I didn’t let on how much we in Oracle Herzliyah were a part of her experience, but when she said ‘I love my Kindle,’ I could have sworn I felt a tear in my eye.”
Israel21C is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.
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