To: Shareholders and Other Adults
The URL for the Sun Microsystems Java promotional page provided by SAL sun.com successes/bt.html was worth some research to determine how if at all it impacted on the BT deal involving dbExpress. While some might find the following statement shocking, I must put it out anyway:
The inferences Rick offered on his post at exchange2000.com are mainly wrong, and demonstrate a little knowledge is dangerous, especially when one is desperate to prove he is not an imbecile.
According to John Anderson of Sun Microsystems (which company I had one of my staff contact after reading Sal's post), and in words that a non-technical person (such as I) can understand, it seems that Java is essentially a computer language that is in competition with Microsoft's computer languages for which will dominate the use of the internet. The posting at the above referenced URL was designed to let other big companies know that BT has thrown its lot with Sun Microsystems.
Java needs the support of software application developers. Sun Microsystems has thus far decided to take a different course than Microsoft and to avoid direct competition with the developers whom it is courting. The essence of the pages at the URL, therefore is to use a case study approach of how BT, by selecting Java was able to produce the program discussed there. Sun Microsystems did not develop that program; rather BT did it in-house with the use of some independent contractors. It also is not a mega-data management system, and does not do what dbExpress does.
We were referred by Mr. Anderson to additional places on the Sun Microsystems web site where the nature of the Java message was explained in a different way. One of them makes it pretty clear that what Sal found is not necessarily a threat to the CCEE/BT deal, nor does it mean that dbExpress will be left with only crumbs:
<<"Applications designed in conjunction with JavaPlan yield a repository of documented
components and models, the existence of which is crucial to organizations seeking to exploit
reusable business components as part of their information technology strategy. Designs,
documentation and model repositories provide an easily accessible pool of information for
developers maintaining old code bases, or business managers reviewing business processes.
Further, as the business processes that define custom applications evolve over time, JavaPlan
keeps documentation and source code updated to reflect system modifications.">>
In other words, Java is not an application--it is a tool for those who develop applications (such as CCEE in developing dbExpress).
In the URL Sal posted, the following also appeared:
<<"After a visit to Sun Microsystems in early 1996, Carlin (of BT) was briefed on the Java Enterprise Computing strategy...">>
The URL also mentioned BT's strategy, which appears to fit with what I surmised was the type of deal BT and CCEE would enter into:
<< "BT sees a growing role for Java
Computing/network computing in offering more
value to its customers with improved services
and a centralized management of its application
software.">>
What does all of this mean? In my view, the jury is still out on the value and indeed the very existence of a deal between CCEE and BT. The URL Sal posted is easily misinterpreted, especially by some one like Rick who has an agenda. (Of course since it is generally agreed that nothing anyone here posts can impact the price of a stock that trades millions of shares, and thus, realistically, supporters of CCEE cannot keep the price up and Rick cannot cause it to drop, why would he harbor such a grudge against CCEE?)
While it is true that Mr. Anderson appeared to be a public relations type who is not the ultimate authority, and while it is true that he did not recognize dbExpress by name, the place where we are now does not warrant anything but an open mind.
Also, the fact that from May 1996 to August 27, CCEE traded between .42 and .60; that all during September it closed at between .68 and .75, and that during October its closing range was between .68 and .8125 seems to indicate that those out there who are buying millions of shares do not seem to have the same concerns as Rick.
Do you think that Rick, who has no shares has the same level of information about the BT deal (and CCEE in general) as those who are spending millions of dollars and who are buying hundreds of thousands of shares each day?
I for one am inclined to join that jury that is still out.
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