Sun will use its JavaOne conference this week to talk about advancements to Java that make the programming language a more secure and manageable foundation for Web services.

Attendees can expect to see updates to the Java platform - including Mustang, the next planned version of the Java 2 Platform Standard Edition - as well as discussion related to standards and moving Java into a more open environment, analysts say.

"You're going to see new versions of the platform, you'll see updates to Web service capabilities, you'll see the standardization that's going on in that world all be announced," says Joe Keller, vice president of marketing for Java Web services and tools at Sun.

It also will be a birthday bash, with Sun holding several events to celebrate Java's 10th anniversary. Sun won't say how many developers it expects to attend the show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco but says there are 4.5 million Java developers worldwide.

"I expect to see progress on two fronts: on Java standards, both on adding more and in improving the standards-development process; and on open source, with several new open source announcements that will further extend the industry and customer impact of open source across the Java - and Web services - communities," says Mike Gilpin, a vice president and research director at Forrester Research.

From an IT manager's perspective, the most interesting activities at the show likely will be news related to management and security. These issues become increasingly important as Java-based applications such as RFID systems, supply-chain networks and business-to-business manufacturing and distribution channels move more data in and out of disparate systems.

BEA Systems , for example, plans to showcase the latest updates to its Java application server, WebLogic Server 9.0. "Customers will be able to deploy their blended applications to the new WebLogic Server 9.0 with advanced features for management and operation," says Franz Aman, vice president of developer marketing at BEA.

Java is everywhere

In the 10 years since it was introduced, Java has found its way onto everything from smart cards and handheld devices to servers and mainframes. The use of Java is growing. A recent study by IDC of more than 450 IT executives found that 70% of respondents planned to increase or maintain their use of Java.