Sun President: Open Source, Java Business Integration Good For Partners

CRN: What is the primary significance of Java Enterprise Edition 5 [JEE5]?

SCHWARTZ: In terms of technology innovation, I'd point you to what's going on with Java Business Integration and service-oriented architectures and market opportunities not only for rewriting applications but also for syndicating applications to create components. EJB3 and JBI are all coming together as a coherent [Web services] platform for customers [in Java Enterprise Edition 5]. If you look at SOAs, a lot of people are creating headaches for customers. If you say 'Web service,' they're not sure what it is. Now it's becoming eBay, Salesforce.com, Upshot.com. These are Web services, and with JEE5 now customers can syndicate [Web] services together to build a rich, composite application that services their needs. And we made that much easier.

CRN: Sun has made available more of its software under its Community Development and Distribution License [CDDL] and is finishing up JEE5 with the Java Community Process [JCP]. What are the opportunities for partners with open-source software, as well as with commercial Web services and JBI offerings?

SCHWARTZ: Undeniably, the announcements we made [on Monday] establish the relevance of Sun's software assets in the marketplace. The iForce partners should look at the strategic changes we're making as creating market opportunities, not destroying market opportunities. We will create a broader business opportunity. It's not just for the server but for software, services, storage and everything we do. They're using a free product to sell, and we're here to create market opportunities for them. We will ensure that we do a good job of preparing iForce partners for monetizing the open-sourcing of the Java Enterprise System.

CRN: We heard a bit about the future version of the Java Standard Edition specification, code-named Mustang, on Monday, as well as about the possibility that it might allow Sun's Java Virtual Machine and Microsoft's CLR to co-exist in the Java platform. Is Mustang the big Web services play?

SCHWARTZ: What we announced with JBI is a profound shift in the evolution of Web services. Web services in Java used to be a contradiction, and now they are commonly defined. But there's constant innovation on client and server and evolution on desktops as on the server. Time will tell. I don't have perfect answers right now.

CRN: Are there any plans to open-source any of the StorageTek software under the CDDL? What other areas is Sun eyeing for potential acquisitions?

SCHWARTZ: Time will tell, and that acquisition hasn't closed yet. All of our acquisitions are reflective of our strategic [goals], and not just technology but operational strategy. We'd be unlikely to make an acquisition of a company that ran counter to our philosophy of open standards. That's about as specific as we'll get.

CRN: Will all editions of the application server be available under the CDDL? The version currently available is the platform edition.

SCHWARTZ: If Johnny has his druthers, yes. There's no reason for us to hold anything back. Open source doesn't mean free, as in no revenue.

CRN: Will Sun open-source the entire stack? Can you qualify?

SCHWARTZ: You have to separate the specification from the products. What we're saying is, the products we deliver that Sun uniquely controls we will open-source and open up to the community to facilitate in the evolution of those products. It's about creating communities, not dumping source code. How much of Java Sun will open-source is not a question we can answer, since we do not control Java.

CRN: When will the Java Enterprise System [JES] will be available under the CDDL?

SCHWARTZ: There is no static definition of the Java Enterprise System, just as there is no static Java. It will evolve over time, and when you say 'all open-sourced,' you assume there's an end point. [But for now], clearly the application server [is open-sourced], and we took another step forward this morning [by open-sourcing] Enterprise Service Bus. And we have open-sourced our development environment, NetBeans, and made a big contribution on Sunday by open-sourcing the collaborative environment so developers around the world can collaborate. ...

CRN: Is that in anticipation of Microsoft's expected launch of Visual Studio Team Edition in November?

SCHWARTZ: We're so all over that. ... It's not in anticipation of. It's pre-emptive.

So I don't have answer [about when all Sun enterprise systems will be open-sourced]. I can't give an explicit date, but it is in the plans for the vast majority of Sun products.