(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| Sun in Talks with Multiple Makers on Java, Jini: Sun Exec.
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February 25, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Sun Microsystems Inc. is in negotiations
now with various equipment makers to set up corporate alliances on Java
and Jini, a Sun executive said.
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Mark Tolliver, president of the Consumer and Embedded Division of Sun,
revealed the discussions to reporters during a visit to Tokyo.
In the meeting with reporters, Tolliver focused on Sun's current business.
But he also showed a list of "what-happens-next-year" things at the
end of a presentation, and hinted numerous negotiations for corporate
alliances are underway at Sun.
Contents of the list are shown below.
1) 250 or more Java-equipped devices to be developed
2) 100 types of Jini-compliant products to be developed
3) Emergence of Java-based digital set-top box
4) Four types of wireless devices with Java to be delivered
5) 1 million Smart Cards based on Java Card technology to be diffused
6) Emergence of Web browser-mounted Screen Phone
Another item listed in slides presented by Tolliver is "Emergence of
Jini-equipped semiconductor products." It implicates a Java/Jini-equipped
device made by U.S.-based Dallas Semiconductor Corp. which appeared
in a Jini demonstration conducted by Sun in December 1998.
A board of the device is about palm-top sized. The cost of manufacturing
the device is about US$15. With the device embedded inside, a home appliance
product will be Jini-compliant.
Sun is going to expand its business into the computer and home electronics
industries, while boosting its UNIX server business targeting corporate
users. The key player in this business strategy is the Computer and
Embedded Division led by Tolliver.
Specifically, the company has announced the following products in this
line: the real-time operating system Chorus, EmbeddedJava, PersonalJava,
Java Card and Personal Applications, with a lightweight Java-based browser
applied a Jini technology that was announced in January.
Tolliver also mentioned Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) announced by Microsoft
Corp.
Microsoft asserted that a PC was not essential for UPnP, because peer-to-peer
connections are possible with UPnP. Concerning this issue, Tolliver
said it was not possible at present to analyze without formal announcement
of UPnP details, but added, "it is unthinkable that Microsoft really
intends to exclude PCs as a core of the network business."
Related stories:
Matsushita, Sun to Develop Java for Consumer
Products
Japan's Hardware Vendors Use Java JINI to Develop
Devices
Microsoft Says UPnP and HAVi Can Coexist
(Nikkei
Java Review)
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