Sun is slow but burning
After our in-depth look at Web services five weeks ago, a great number of you wrote seeking advice on Java and how it fits into the framework of Web-services architectures. Many suggested that Java's usefulness would ultimately be usurped; citing Sun's lagging efforts at defining a Web services strategy would ultimately bring about its demise.
Well, what a difference a day makes (or several weeks, in this instance).
Last week's 2001 JavaOne conference, in San Francisco, saw Sun Microsystems Inc. and its supporters breaking ground on the next generation of Java development, including a beta release of Forte for Java that supports Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) wireless and Web services standards.
Sun's JAX (Java APIs for XML) begins bridging XML and service-oriented architecture interoperability with Java. The application programming interfaces include JAXP (for XML processing), JAXM (messaging), JAXR (XML-based registry integration), and JAX-RPC (a remote procedure call interface).
In addition, JAXB will enable bindings between XML schemas and Java-based objects and speed the generation of classes from XML schemas. The Forte toolset also includes support for SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration), and WSDL (Web Services Description Language).
With Sun's Web services revolving tightly around J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition), the outpouring of industry support for J2EE further positions Java well for the transition.
J2EE is supported by a number of major application server vendors, including IBM Corp., BEA Systems Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Co./Bluestone Software Inc. And at JavaOne Oracle Corp. announced availability of a souped-up Java engine for its 9i application server, reportedly performing as much as four times faster than the competition and requiring only 20MB of RAM (25 percent less than IBM WebSphere).
Java will be playing an increasingly important role in next-generation cellular and handheld devices, and even smart cards, thanks to J2ME. And Java's security model will help developers more easily close security gaps in the existing wireless transport security model.
I'll agree that Sun may not have taken a leadership role in advancing Web services to date, but in fairness no other vendors have rolled out comprehensive solutions or toolsets either. And, Sun's latest efforts show the company is finally paying heed to addressing enterprise concerns for ensuring the future viability of its Java investments.
With a running start and a renewed focus on developer concerns, Sun is ready to take Java to the next level.
Some think Sun is burning out. I think it's just heating up.
What do you think? Let me know by writing to me at james_borck@infoworld.com.
» posted by abennett
InfoWorld
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