Sun aims at Java enterprise

By Chris Nerney and Andy Eddy
Network World, 3/30/98

Facing growing doubts it could prevent Microsoft Corp. and others from developing their own versions of Java, Sun Microsystems, Inc. last week unveiled a slew of products that should fortify Sun's position and energize the development of Java enterprise applications.

Sun sprayed its annual JavaOne conference with more than a half-dozen product announcements, including the release of Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) 1.0, the component architecture deemed critical to the development of cross-platform server applications.

But the news that drew the biggest stir at the conference came from a courthouse 50 miles away in San Jose, where a U.S. district court judge ordered Microsoft to remove the Java-compatible logo from its Internet Explorer 4.0 browser.

Though jubilant over the judge's decision, Sun officials expressed concern that the buzz created by the legal victory overshadowed Sun's new Java tools, which promise to help developers build a wider range of Java applications for the enterprise and consumer appliance market.

"If I could have had the court announcement at any time, it would not have been at JavaOne," said Sun CEO Scott McNealy at a press conference on Wednesday. "We want you to be writing about Java, not a contract dispute."

Besides releasing EJB 1.0, Sun last week outlined a number of other products and plans, including the following:

A group of tools for developing and deploying Java applications on both clients and servers, slated to be rolled out through the end of the year.
The release of a draft specification for EmbeddedJava technology for inserting Java applications in devices such as routers, switches, pagers, medical devices and telephony infrastructure equipment.
The availability of Sun's oft-delayed JavaStation network computer.
Plans for several specifications to help developers build Java applications to run in automobiles, televisions and telephones. Draft specifications are slated for availability in the third quarter.
The release of final specifications for software that will allow developers to build and deploy Java enterprise messaging applications and access a wide range of relational databases.

Anne Thomas, senior analyst at Patricia Seybold Group, Inc., in Boston, said the embracing of EJB by more than 20 Java licensees, including Symantec Corp. and Oracle Corp., "proves that Java has conclusively moved into the enterprise space."

In particular, IBM has made a big commitment to EJB, she said.

"We're talking about supporting EJB on everything from their [PCs] all the way up to their massive [mainframe] systems," Thomas said. "It's huge."

IBM, by far Sun's most powerful Java ally, said it would support EJB technology across its middleware and applications servers.

IBM also unveiled jCentral, an Internet search engine for locating and sharing Java-related information such as code, applets, JavaBeans, newsgroup articles and tutorials.

Another analyst said the quantity and variety of Sun's JavaOne announcements will help push Java toward maturity.

"This is exactly what Sun needs to do," said Ron Rappaport, an analyst with Zona Research, Inc., in Redwood City, Calif. "These are the kinds of little pieces that need to be in place for Sun to claim that Java is a robust development environment."

Noting that Sun once again has pushed back the release of HotSpot technology, designed to speed Java's performance - this time to next fall - Rappaport said "delivering this technology to the people who want it today is one of Sun's greatest challenges."

"This is an industry that is impatient," he said. "That's what was behind [Hewlett-Packard Co.'s] move."

Only three days before the show kicked off, Java licensee and presumed Sun ally HP bolted from the fold, announcing it had developed its own flavor of Java software to run on electronic devices, including HP's printers.

Worse, HP entered into an agreement allowing Microsoft to license the technology for its Windows CE operating system.

Microsoft, of course, has openly rejected Sun's efforts to retain control over Java standards.

The software giant's release of its Internet Explorer 4.0 browser last fall prompted a lawsuit by Sun, which alleged that the browser failed Java compatibility tests, thus violating the licensing agreement signed by Microsoft.

And earlier this month, Microsoft roiled the Java waters even further when it unveiled plans for a revised version of its Java tools for Windows-based computers that far exceeds the changes it made to Java in Internet Explorer 4.0.

Besides IBM, dozens of Java licensees used last week's show to hype new Java products, including the following:

Weblogic, Inc., of San Francisco, which announced software for its Tengah Java application server. The new tool, Tengah Zero Administration Client (ZAC), automates the distribution and management of application software, system software and other information to desktops and servers. ZAC can send data through enterprise networks, as well as corporate 'Nets and the Internet.
Rogue Wave Software, Inc., of Boulder, Colo., unveiled StudioJ, a set of Java components for graphical user interface development, data analysis, charting and database access. StudioJ includes four class libraries for Java developers.