Oracle's Ellison Vows Continued Support For Java

Ellison also hinted that Oracle will leverage Sun's technology to develop Java-based netbooks and other devices and will leverage Sun's OpenOffice productivity applications to compete more aggressively against archrival Microsoft and its cash cow Office application suite.

Toward the end of the two-hour JavaOne opening session Tuesday morning, Sun Chairman Scott McNealy introduced Ellison as "the next leader of the Java community."

Ellison noted that Oracle's middleware products are all built on Java, as are the vendor's next-generation Fusion applications that are currently under development. He vowed that Oracle would continue Sun's Java development programs and its evangelistic efforts around the technology.

"We see increased investment in Java coming from the Oracle-Sun combination and an expansion of the overall community," Ellison said to applause. "I think we're going to continue to invest [in Java] and accelerate our investments."

One software product Oracle is gaining through the Sun acquisition is the OpenOffice suite of open-source applications, including a word processor and spreadsheet, which some view as a competitive alternative to Microsoft Office. Ellison said he would like to see development of OpenOffice accelerated, including adding an improved user interface using the Java FX development tools for building rich Internet applications.

A report from Technology Business Research analyst Stuart Williams, issued after Ellison's appearance, speculated that Oracle will use OpenOffice and the Beehive collaboration suite it debuted last fall to compete more directly with Microsoft Office.

"If Oracle can develop an open-source alternative to the closed Office suite and augment it with [Software-as-a-Service] Oracle Beehive collaboration software, the company can begin to drain the free cash thrown off by Microsoft Office, free cash Microsoft is currently investing into cloud, Internet search and other efforts," said the TBR report.

Ellison also noted the amount of attention being generated by Java-based devices such as those running Google's Android system. "I think we can expect to see lots and lots of Java devices, but I don't see why some of those devices shouldn't come from Sun-Oracle," he said, specifically mentioning netbooks.