Sun Submits Java™ Technology for Industry Standardization

Sun Submits Java™ Technology for Industry Standardization

Java Technology Submitted to ECMA for Standardization

Palo Alto, CA - May 6, 1999 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced that it has submitted the Java technology to ECMA for formal standardization. ECMA, formerly known as the European Computer Manufacturers Association, has almost 40 years of experience as an international information and communications technology standardization body. The details of the submission will be formally presented at the ECMA General Assembly Meeting, to be held in Kyoto, Japan on June 24, 1999. ECMA is a Class A ISO liaison, and this unique relationship allows ECMA standards to be forwarded to ISO for adoption as international standards. ISO has adopted over 100 ECMA standards using this path.

"Rapid innovation, cross-platform compatibility and technical excellence have always been the development imperatives for the Java technology, and now with the delivery of the Java 2 platform, it is appropriate to standardize the Java platform," said Dr. Alan Baratz, President of Java Software, Sun Microsystems Inc. "Sun developed and evolved the Java platform using principles of collaboration and technical excellence formally called the Java Community Process. The Java Community Process is a well-established and proven method for rapidly evolving the Java technology, and we want to maintain the benefits it provides while standardizing Java technology. We are extremely pleased to work with ECMA to present our Java specifications for adoption as a formal international standard."

"ECMA is very pleased to receive this proposal from Sun Microsystems," said Jan van den Beld, Secretary General of ECMA. "The Java community uses an efficient, collaborative process for defining and enhancing the Java technology. This Java Community Process, paired with ECMA's proven standards process will ensure that Java technology's rapid innovation is followed by the stability that is the hallmark of international standards."

Today's announcement represents a change in the procedure Sun will use to submit Java technology, but fulfills the company's pledge to achieve ISO standardization of the Java technology. At the same time, it ensures that the Java Community Process and the industry's involvement in innovating new uses for the technology remain an integral component in the evolution of the Java technology.

Sun had previously announced that it would submit the Java specification to ISO through the Publicly Available Specification process (PAS). "In examining our standardization options, our primary goal always has been to preserve the industry's substantial investment in evolving and using the Java technology," said Dr. Baratz. "By paring the collaborative Java Community Process with ECMA's proven standards process, we can achieve international standardization while preserving rapid innovation and cross-platform compatibility."

Sun has submitted to ECMA the Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE), Version 1.2.2. This specification, which is being widely adopted and used by the international Java community, consists of:

the Java Language specification
the Java Virtual Machine™ Specification, and
the Java API Core Class Library™ Specifications.

Once the standard is approved by the ECMA General Assembly, ECMA can contribute the standard to ISO for fast-track approval.

Allen Brown, Chief Operating Officer and acting President of The Open Group consortium, commented, "As one of the original ISO PAS submitters, Open Group strongly supports the standardization of Java technology and is pleased that Sun has initiated the ISO standardization process through ECMA. The Open Group will strive to provide Sun and ECMA with any support they need so that Java technology becomes an open standard."

"The Object Management Group, a current ISO PAS submitter, is delighted that Sun is working with ECMA for ISO standardization," said Richard Soley, Chairman and CEO of the Object Management Group consortium. "Historically, Sun has supported open, neutral standards - they've strongly supported the Object Management Group for almost a decade. The Object Management Group is pleased to work with both Sun and ECMA as they work together to standardize Java technology."

About ECMA and ISO

ECMA and ISO are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (http://www.ecma.ch and http://www.iso.ch). The ISO/IEC JTC 1 Secretariat is administered by the American National Standards Institute located at 11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036 (http://www.ansi.org).

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer™," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $11 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Java, Java Virtual Machine, Java API Core Class Library and The Network Is the Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.