New JCP Program Enhancements to Facilitate Broader Developer Participation

Proposed Changes Give Wider Access To Expert Groups Processes

SANTA CLARA, CA -- May 22, 2003 -- The Java Community Process (JCP) Program Management Office (PMO) and Executive Committees today announced plans to introduce program enhancements through a new iteration of the Java Community Process - version 2.6. The second in eight months, the proposed program refresh, outlined in Java Specification Request (JSR) 215, recommends changes to make the JCP process more transparent and efficient, enable more effective interactions with external groups and help improve the completion rate of JSRs. It demonstrates JCP's capability to rapidly evolve itself in order to respond to the needs of a diversity of Java technology developer communities.

Among the recommended changes, JSR 215 proposes a new class of membership - "Expert Group Observer" - to enable a wider Java developer audience to contribute feedback to specifications development. If approved, the specification will open the Community Review Draft to the public and facilitate input from developers earlier in the process.

In addition, JCP 2.6 will help Java developers keep pace with technology developments, provide visibility into Expert Group activities and offer timely access to information about specifications timelines and availability to market.

One of JCP's largest, JSR 215 Expert Group has 28 participants including Apache Software Foundation, Apple Computer, BEA Systems, Borland Software Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, IONA Technologies, Insignia Solutions, Doug Lea, professor of computer science at the State University of New York at Oswego, Macromedia, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Motorola, Nokia Corporation, Nokia Networks, Oracle, PalmSource, Philips, Research In Motion (RIM), SAP, Siemens, SONY International (Europe) GmbH, Sony Ericsson Mobile, Sun Microsystems, Symbian, Texas Instruments, The SCO Group. This level of Expert Group participation demonstrates the interest members take in optimizing the process to best serve its mission - evolving Java technology based on binary standards - and the needs of developer constituencies by promptly responding with timely, pragmatic updates.

"The direction in which JSR 215 proposes to take the JCP emerges from the feedback of specification leads, experts and EC members as well as the practical experience of the Program Office from its day-to-day management of the process, "said Onno Kluyt, director, JCP PMO. "We are pleased to see this level of interest in JSR 215 - an important initiative aimed at increasing the transparency and the efficiency of the JCP while maintaining the focus of the community on the establishment of the Java technology binary software standard."

The proposed specification draft will be reviewed and approved by the EC through the standard JCP JSRs review process. The delivery of the final draft by the Expert Group is planned for November 2003.

To find out more about the proposed JSR 215 and timeline, visit http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=215

About the Java Community Process

Since its introduction in 1995 as the open, inclusive process to develop and revise Java technology specifications, reference implementations, and technology compatibility kits, the Java Community Process program has fostered the evolution of the Java platform in cooperation with the international Java developer community. The JCP has over 650 company and individual participants; more than 190 Java technology specifications are in development in the JCP program out of which 46% are in final stages. For more information on the JCP program, please visit http://jcp.org

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