Java and Open Source?
Clemens Vasters questions the efficacy of open sourcing Java:
If Sun were actually to open-source (that's a verb now, is it?) Java as IBM demands, IBM would finally own it. They've got more resources and they'd throw them at the problem, easily taking away the leadership in the Java space. Sun would just be sitting there, watching in disbelief what happens to what used to be their stuff. That's really what IBM wants and I am amazed how clever they are about it.
This begs another question though: what tangible benefits does Sun get from Java now? Seriously - they have this huge staff on the JavaSoft team, lots of guys working on NetBeans - and they are nowhere in the competition for
- Application servers (IBM, BEA, Oracle - and, to a lesser extent, MS - own this space
- Tools - they give NetBeans away, and Eclipse gets all the press anyway
- Consulting Services - IBM and the big consulting outfits get most of the revenue
It looks to me like they have invested a lot of money in other people's business plans. Open Sourcing Java might actually be a face saving way of admitting defeat and cutting their costs....
Comments
Damir Tomicic (http://tomicic.de/)
[Damir Tomicic] February 28, 2004 22:38:35.769
You're right, Sun supports IBM & Novell strategy without any clear strategy for his own business.
Re: Java and Open Source?
[cdegroot] February 29, 2004 13:40:07.104
Comment on Java and Open Source? by cdegroot
Well, I think Sun will disagree. Java got them in on an awful lot of hardware consulting deals, and that's what they primarily do. Sun, AFAIR, never made money on software (remember NFS?) nor did they ever aspire to.