It's still too early to pick the winners, but wireless application development platforms based on Java and Qualcomm Inc.'s Brew are the leading technologies, a high-tech research firm said Monday.

The two Internet-based platforms are the "best options" for building applications that can be downloaded to a cellular phone or personal digital assistants, the Yankee Group said.

The Java 2 Micro Edition, which has an early lead in the market, is being used to run the limited applications available today. Qualcomm's Brew only works on CDMA networks. "It's a limiting factor, but there's a lot you can do with the platform," Yankee analyst John Jackson said.

To date, most Internet-based applications available for handsets are for games and other lightweight uses such as changing the ring tone on a cellular phone to play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Brew, however, does enable more useful applications, such as location-based services for finding an address. Java applications delivering weather forecasts and other advanced services are also available.

But in general, no platform has gained leadership status because developers and ISVs haven't been able to pick a clear winner. Software builders are hesitant to invest too much money in developing applications until they see a platform with a significant adoption rate.

"If you're a developer, you don't perceive a clear path to revenue today," Jackson said. "There's a lot of options, but it's a very confusing landscape to navigate."

Indeed, Microsoft made a big push in the market last week when it unveiled its Microsoft .Net Compact Framework, which will be included in Visual Studio .Net 2003. The framework is a tool set designed to simplify development on Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system.

While early tools were clumsy, Microsoft's latest technology is considerably better, Jackson said. In addition, it has several million loyal developers that will start tapping code as soon as they see an opportunity to make money.

Assuming businesses eventually adopt wireless applications in a big way, companies may treat it as an extension of the desktop, which is the dominant method today of delivering application services to workers. If that happens, Microsoft, which has a monopoly in PC operation systems, could have a big advantage, Jackson said.

However, mobile phone makers are not anxious to let Microsoft dominate the wireless OS. They have formed a software consortium that distributes its own operating system. Symbian PLC shareholders include South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co., Nokia, Siemens AG, Motorola Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Psion PLC, and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ltd.

Nevertheless, some of the handset makers, including Samsung and Motorola, are hedging their bets by planning to support Microsoft technology as well.