n November of this year oriented Java-based programs. It
Sun Microsystems moved to is estimated that eight out of
"open source" status for every ten cell phones have a Java
Java, after a decade of application running on them.
maintaining proprietary status
for the portable programming A GPL use requires that any
language. Specifically, Sun has product developed under such
placed Java into the public licensure be returned to the
domain by putting it under GPL - "open source community" and
an acronym for General Public remain, in effect accessible to
License. What this means is that all. Sun's variation on this
software programmers will have principle has an exception for
vastly increased freedom to applications built on the Java
develop programs based on Java "Virtual Machine," a platform
and to develop modifications for that the company made available
the language itself. to software developers some time
ago.
It also puts Sun into the
mainstream with other major What this exception does is allow
platform developers such as continued development of
Linux. While the company had put proprietary software written for
its Solaris operating system into Java, which keeps the language
open source status some time ago, viable as a platform for revenue
Java is a highly distributed producing products. Prior to the
consumer platform and providing switch to GPL status, Java
open source access to it gives program developers had to pay a
the company a real boost in its licensing fee to Sun.
standing among its peers. Perhaps
more important, it will stimulate IBM has been after Sun to take
further development of consumer Java to open source status for
years. Their Works Projects has protects those qualities will now
been a center for the development be an open book for programmers
of open source products, developing new applications.
primarily based on Linux. From
their perspective, Sun's decision It will also provide the
to grant GPL status for Java is opportunity to bundle Java
viewed as an opportunity to unite products with Linux based
with Linux and provide a stronger software. Sun's internal interest
platform to challenge Microsoft. in this move is to stimulate more
The politics of software can be developers to use the language,
enormously complicated, in order to revive its own
especially when there's an internal software business. Since
elephant like Microsoft in the taking a huge hit in their
house. But what Sun has high-end server market, Sun has
accomplished with this move is been struggling to find a new
provide an opportunity for path and has increasingly looked
programmers to zero in on Java to software as an opportunity.
products as potentially large
revenue sources. Sun's EVP for software summed up
the value of the move for the
Unlike Linux, which was spun off company and its product. "People
of UNIX to provide an alternative have been hesitant to distribute
to Windows, Java stands in a Java worldwide with Linux
class of its own. While Linux has (distributions) because of
survived in the marketplace, it (concerns over) license
has never mounted a major alignment," Green said. "This is
challenge to Windows. Java's the last gate to ensure that Java
unique qualities and the will be distributed worldwide."
intellectual property that
About the Author:
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate, specializing in small business development, for Apollo Hosting. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers.
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