Here is an article re the ongoing battle to have Java as a open international standard
August 17, 1997
JAVA BID LANDS IN OTTAWA
SUN MICROSYSTEMS SEEKS MADE-IN-CANADA SOLUTION FOR
CANADIAN'S INVENTION
By STUART McCARTHY
Ottawa Sun
When technical experts from 17 countries around the world meet in Ottawa next month, it could
very well represent the defining moment in a global challenge to Microsoft's dominance in the
computer world.
These same experts are the ones currently debating whether Sun Microsystems' revolutionary Java
language will become a carved in stone international standard for Internet and computer
interoperability.
It's an extremely fitting location, pitting what is in effect a Canadian invention, backed by two of
Canada's biggest software developers right here in Ottawa, against the epitome of successful U.S.
capitalism and entrepreneurship -- Bill Gates and Microsoft.
Java was conceived by a Canadian, James Gosling, who graduated from the University of Calgary
with a bachelor of science degree in computer science.
Gosling went on to a PhD at Carnegie-Mellon University and ended up at Sun Microsystems.
"In 1980-81, James had this epiphany that every device in the world would eventually have a
microprocessor in it and wouldn't it be great if they all worked with one another," says George
Paolini, marketing director for Sun's JavaSoft Division.
The spark of the dream was simply that Gosling couldn't get the darned access card for his hotel
door to work.
Gosling went to work on such a program "and the Internet came along at the time he developed this
as the perfect conduit for his vision," says Paolini.
Gosling is now chief technology officer at JavaSoft and Java is being touted around the world as the
Microsoft killer.
Java's intent is to have an operating system that will work with any type of operating system --
Windows, Macintosh, Unix, etc., with applications written in a single language (Java) and largely
operating through an Internet-based WorldWide Web browser.
It is considered the heart and soul of the future Network Computers (NCs) which many companies
see as cheap replacements for many desktop computers in corporations.
It's in sharp contrast to the Microsoft world, which sees an Intel-based computer running on
Windows 95 or NT, Microsoft Office 97 for applications and the Internet on its own connectivity
protocol with Microsoft Internet Explorer as the Web browser and virtually everything else
Microsoft too.
In many cases, Paolini says Microsoft has licensed technology developed by others and massaged it
enough so that their versions only operate seamlessly with other Microsoft applications.
"It's hijacking and its the model Microsoft has used for 20 years," says Paolini. "Office funnels into
the operating system and the operating system funnel customers into Office and so on."
Which is why Sun and JavaSoft have applied to the leading world's standards body to have Java
declared an international standard, which remains open and interoperable.
Back in March, Sun applied to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) joint
technical committee one (JTC1) to become a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) submitter.
It is the first time a for-profit organization has made such an application to have one of their
products declared an international standard.
Sun's application was forwarded to advisory committees in 27 voting countries.
If Sun got a two-thirds majority, the JTC1 would have declared Java as the official language of the
Internet.
Instead, there were eight countries who voted in favor and 13 voting no, with Canada abstaining.
All of the advisory committees had questions they want Sun to answer, all largely with the same
theme -- what happens to Java after it becomes a standard?
Based on the answers they get, they'll vote again by Sept. 17.
Before that, 17 of those advisory committees will be in Ottawa Sept. 8 and 9 for the ISO JTC1
meeting.
Douglas Langlotz, secretary of the Standards Council of Canada which is Canada's JTC1 advisory
committee, said the Java issue isn't on the agenda for the meeting, which falls between the balloting.
In fact he's hoping the backroom chatter doesn't overshadow the core theme of the plenary session
which is the 10th anniversary of the JTC 1.
But with this being the only chance to have some person-to-person interaction between different
committees, the Java issue will no doubt be the number one item on the unofficial agenda.
"Abolutely, no question," says Langlotz. "If they're successful, it will result in some pretty active
things going on."
Not the least will be a floodgate of like-minded applications from other private (profit) companies
trying to do the same for their products.
If Java does become accepted as a standard, it opens the process for modification and updates and
the members of JTC 1 will have substantial input in the future.
By now, the views and votes of the various advisory committes are well circulated and discussed
and Langlotz says it's normal for many of these decisions to be made outside of the plenary session
such as the one in Ottawa, which rotate to different cities around the world every nine months.
"Everyone knows what everyone else has said, I expect some people will be confirming their views
and positions," says Langlotz.
Corel Corp. was the first to have its Office for Java application certified 100% Pure Java by Sun.
It's now one of more than 50 such certified applications. Last week, JetForm Corp. announced it
would develop a Java-based suite of electronic forms solutions.
Chris Biber, who heads up Corel's Java efforts, says the Ottawa software company "welcomes the
public standards effort" by Sun.
"Our interests are represented by companies we have alliances with who are on the committee."
Sun's Paolini sees Ottawa as the place where the battle will be won or lost and as fitting a place for
the such a conflict.
With Java a Canadian invention, Canadian companies among the strongest proponents of Java and
the key decision makers about to gather in Canada's capital, Paolini says, "It sort of comes full
circle.
"Let's see if Canada does right for us." |
