Microsoft, Sun at war again over Java

January 31, 2001 —

JUST WHEN IT looked as if the Java battle between Microsoft and Sun was over, the fight turned into a war.

The battle was resolved this week when Microsoft and Sun settled a 3-year lawsuit over Microsoft's use of Java. The settlement essentially drew a line that forces developers to choose between Java's portability or tight integration with Windows applications.

The war kicked in when Microsoft, a mere two days after the settlement, fired back with Java User Migration Path (JUMP) to .NET, a set of products to help developers migrate Java applications to the .NET platform.

"The settlement drives the fact that you have to make the choice of developing for the Java platform or building for the Windows platform -- there will be no middle ground," said Thomas Murphy, an analyst at Meta Group, a Stamford, Conn.-based market research firm.

The settlement is not a surprise, analysts said, because Microsoft did not appear to be in a position to win the case. Last October, the federal judge presiding over the case issued a tentative decision stating that Microsoft, in fact, had violated Sun's trademark by placing the Java logo on software that failed Sun's compatibility testing.

Both companies consider the settlement a victory.

"They can continue to distribute an outdated version of our technology, but they can't use Java for .NET," said Patricia Sueltz, executive vice president of the software systems group at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sun.

Microsoft officials, however, have declared publicly that the company has no interest in using Java for .NET. "This is a good thing to get behind us, move forward, and concentrate on [.NET]," said Tony Goodhew, a Microsoft product manager.

Microsoft has given developers three ways for Java to segue to a .NET deployment: via JUMP to .NET, including a tool for J++; by converting Java syntax or other Java tools; or by making use of services offered by Microsoft.

"It seems to be a Rube Goldberg approach to using Java and then being able to deploy to a Microsoft platform," said Dana Gardner, an analyst at Aberdeen Group, in Boston. Developers will have to jump through hoops to convert XML and code and to deal with the hiccups, bumps, and bugs along the way, Gardner said. "What you are not going to see is any ability for a Java developer to easily deploy that application on Windows. And I think that is the biggest risk that Microsoft takes," Gardner added.

Microsoft is forging ahead with its own plans, C# specifically. C#, Microsoft's newest object-oriented programming language and reputed "Java killer," is in the beta testing phase and will be a key component in the forthcoming Visual Studio.NET. The success of C# depends primarily on the partners who support it.

With Microsoft's .NET strategy focused on applications available via the Web, the company will need to convert at least a sizable portion of its current corps of 6 million developers to its new .NET toolset, which includes C#.

Even some of Microsoft's faithful developers have said the company has had a difficult time making its developer skills set applicable to the Web.

"It took me a long time to move my [Visual Basic] and my FoxPro skills to the Internet," said Brian Kinkel, a senior project manager at Vega Application Development, in Media, Pa.

At least one analyst, howeveer, said that developers will continue to use both Java and Windows.

"The average programmer speaks 2.5 languages, and they use whatever tools it takes to get the job done," said Martin Marshall, an analyst at Zona Research, in Redwood City, Calif.

But developers are not expected to make any major crossover jumps from Java to .NET, or vice versa.

"I think the open standard is [Java 2 Enterprise Edition]; so I think it would be unusual for most Java developers to go in another direction and use C#," said Debra Domeyer, CTO of CarsDirect, in Culver City, Calif.

Ultimately, Java developers did not expect Microsoft to become a Java supplier, said Rick Ross, president of the Carey, N.C.-based JavaLobby, a user and developers group. "Every prudent developer should evaluate carefully what is in it for their company, with a clear mind to the reality that all these big companies have their own agendas," he said.

InfoWorld