Sun Microsystems Withdraws Java™ 2 Platform Submission From ECMA
Action Taken to Ensure Compatibility and Continued Rapid Pace of Innovation
NEW YORK, NY - Java Business Conference - December 7, 1999 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. announced today that it is withdrawing its proposal to formally standardize the Java™ 2 platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) from the standards body ECMA. Sun is withdrawing from the process in order to protect the integrity of the Java technology and the investment made in it by the worldwide community using Java technology.
The evolution of Java technology is based on balancing rapid technology innovation with a stable platform that provides the community using the technology with opportunities for business innovation. As the steward of the Java technologies, Sun remains committed to providing an open, inclusive process that ensures the community participation in evolving the Java technologies.
"Sun has a covenant with two million Java technology developers and over 200 licensees, who are committed to driving compatibility forward. Sun is committed to maintaining compatibility across implementations of the Java platforms. We encourage the community to compete on implementation, not on standards," said Patricia C. Sueltz, president, Sun Software Products & Platforms.
Sun noted that ECMA has formal rules governing patent protections; however, at this time there are no formal protections for copyrights or other intellectual property. Sun strongly believes ECMA needs to adopt IPR (intellectual property rights) policies for the collective benefit of its members and will continue to work actively in ECMA to assist in developing those procedures.
Sun, in recent years, has been the most active ECMA member when it comes to generating new TCs (Technical Committees)-- 4 of the last 5 -- that have resulted in many new ECMA members; TC37-API for Windows, TC 39-ECMA Script, TC40-Object Data Interfaces, and TC41 have all come to ECMA due to Sun initiatives. Sun has also been, and will continue to be, an active participant in the management activities of ECMA, taking active roles in the General Assembly and the Coordinating Committee.
About the Java Business Conference
Don't miss the Java Business Conference, December 7-9, 1999 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Java technology industry, as well as enterprise customers of these vendors, will showcase their end-to-end enterprise solutions built on the Java platform. This three-day event is an intense educational conference that will enable attendees to make better informed decisions on their web business strategies, including how to leverage XML with the Java platform. The conference will also highlight both proven and new industry products that build upon the power of the Java platform. For more information, or to register, please visit http://www.javabusinessconference.com or call 1-888-886-8309.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 $12.4 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, The Network Is The Computer, Java, Java Business are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and in other countries.