Many of the products we build require extremely specialised user interfaces; for instance, a branded game requires absolute control over every pixel of the screen.

J2ME (the version of Java which usually sits on mobile phone handsets) has been designed with portability in mind: developers can create simple applications which will run on a wide variety of handsets quite easily. The trade-off for this portability is that the look and feel of these applications may differ between handsets, or they may not make best use of all available features, such as screen space.

Bearing this in mind, we have developed Cactus, a tool which helps us rapidly create extremely customised user interfaces, and have fine-grained control over the behaviour of these interfaces. Cactus also lets us work around some common bugs or limitations of handsets in a flexible manner, and eases the pain of porting an application across a wide range of devices.

The result? We can produce better-looking interfaces quicker. Our customers pay less for a superior product. And our staff spend their time solving new problems, rather than building applications from scratch every time.

We have used Cactus on projects for Audi, Orange, the BBC and Wiretown.