Sun Microsystems Submits Next Versions of Java 2 Platform Editions to the Java Community Process Program
Formal, Community-based Process Will Drive the Future of the Java 2 Platform, Standard and Enterprise Editions
PALO ALTO, CA, -- February 7, 2000 -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced that the next versions of its key technologies -- the Java™ 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) -- have been submitted to the Java Community Process (JCP) program.The JCP is the community-based process for developing Java technology specifications, reference implementations and associated compatibility test suites.** With this announcement, the Java Community Process program is further strengthened as a sound and successful community-based model for evolving Java technology.
Sun submitted two Java Specification Requests (JSRs) to the JCP: one for J2SE v 1.4, the successor to J2SE v 1.3 which is currently available as a beta release; and another for J2EE v. 1.3, the next release of J2EE, which has been shipping in version 1.2 since December. The JSR is the first step in developing or revising a Java technology specification. More information on the Java Community Process program and the JSRs can be found at java.sun.com/jcp.
"Sun believes that this move will help to ensure that the Java technology community gets exactly what it needs and wants with future versions of the Java 2 platform," stated Rich Green, vice president, Java Software Development, Sun Microsystems. "We're confident that the future versions of J2EE and J2SE will greatly benefit from this decision and look forward to continuing to work closely with the community."
"Sun has had one overarching goal for Java technology since its introduction in 1996: to promote innovation while preserving compatibility. The Java Community Process does exactly this in a way that's both inclusive of the community and fast," said George Paolini, vice president, Java Community Development, Sun Microsystems. "This news signifies a strong step for the Java 2 platform and underscores Sun's commitment to working with the Java community."
Next Steps in Community Development for the Java 2 Platform
Today, the Project Management Office at Sun will post the JSRs for public review and comment by all JCP participants. If JCP participants agree with the technology specifications outlined in the JSRs, expert groups made up of community members for each technology submission will be formed, and the community of developers using Java technologies will continue to drive each technology specification to a final shipping release.The projected expert group for J2SE v 1.4 will include experts from OS platform vendors, tool vendors, application vendors, enterprise customers, and end developers. The projected expert group for J2EE v 1.3 will include experts from application server vendors and container providers, enterprise tool vendors and enterprise application vendors. Many of the partners who helped to define the current version of J2EE have expressed strong interest in participating in the expert group for J2EE v1.3.
Java Specification Request for Upcoming Version of J2EE
J2EE is a unified platform, based upon J2SE that simplifies multi-tier enterprise application development and deployment in today's diverse corporate environments, and enables businesses to protect and leverage existing infrastructure investments. More information on J2EE can be found at java.sun.com/j2ee.The JSR for J2EE will allow the Java technology community to participate in the definition of the target feature set for J2EE v 1.3. The proposed feature set will include APIs defined in other existing JSRs, such as the J2EE Connector Architecture Specification for accessing existing enterprise services, previously defined APIs such as Java Messaging Service technology, as well as possible new APIs.
J2EE v1.3 will be the Enterprise Edition of version 1.3 of the Java 2 platform, with a full set of facilities for the development, deployment and execution of multi-tier, server-centric applications. These facilities would include the Enterprise JavaBeans component model, JavaServer Pages technology and Java Servlets, JDBC, and JavaMail technologies.
Java Specification Request for Upcoming Version of J2SE
J2SE is a complete, stable, and secure platform that is targeted towards standalone Java technology applications and two-tier enterprise applications. J2SE is currently shipping in version 1.2.2, and Sun as well as many Java technology licensees are shipping products based upon J2SE v 1.2.2. Sun plans to ship J2SE v 1.3 this spring for the Windows platform, with support for the Solaris Operating Environment and Linux to follow. More information on J2SE can be found at java.sun.com/jdk.The JSR for J2SE is a proposal to develop a target feature and API set for the next update release of J2SE, v 1.4, which will ship in 2001. This JSR will help to ensure that the next upgrade release of J2SE includes all appropriate features and APIs that are now in development with the Java community, as well as to make certain that it is compatible with earlier J2SE releases. Existing JSR initiatives that will be evaluated as potential candidates for the J2SE v 1.4 release are the JSRs for XML Parsing and XML Data Binding.
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 industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to ".com" their businesses. With $13 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.