 |
|
DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / OCTOBER 13, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 41
|
Breaking News - Operating Systems
& Middleware:
Microsoft To Extend Java In
Windows
Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday that it would carry Sun Microsystems Inc's
Java
programming language in the Windows operating system nine months longer than
first planned, to give customers more time to transition between the software
platforms.
Originally, Microsoft had said it would only carry Java in Windows until
the
end of 2003, under an agreement that allows programs written in the Java
programming language to run on top of Windows. Microsoft and Sun said in a
joint statement that they would extend that by 10 months to Sept. 30,
2004.
"We've put our differences aside since we've heard from customers that they
would like a little more time as they are in the process of migrating," said
Chris Jones, Microsoft's vice president of the Windows client division.
The two companies said that one of the main issues concerning customers and
software vendors is the ability to preserve software security during the
transition so that hackers won't get a chance to exploit software flaws.
Microsoft said it would provide migration tools and information for
developers.
Microsoft and Sun have shifted their development efforts into
next-generation
standards for delivering software and services over the Internet. Microsoft's
.NET initiative is going head-to-head with Sun's J2EE platform and other
standards.
Sun, which is currently seeking $1 billion in damages against Microsoft,
has
been locked in a legal battle with the world's largest software maker for more
than three years over Java.
Sun originally alleged that Microsoft promoted an incompatible form of Java
that worked best on Windows. After being sued by Sun, Microsoft dropped Java
from Windows, but added it back after a court ordered that it be included
again in the operating system.
Microsoft then appealed that order and got the ruling overturned so it
would
no longer be forced to include Java in Windows.
Legal experts had said that the last ruling, made in June, set the stage
for
a
settlement. Microsoft has settled several civil lawsuits made against the
company since it ended its antitrust case with the federal government last
year.
Microsoft agreed to pay $10.5 million last month to a group of U.S.
customers
who claimed that it overcharged them for software and earlier in September
settled an antitrust suit by Be Inc, agreeing to pay the failed software
developer $23 million to drop its suit accusing Microsoft of destroying its
business through anti-competitive practices.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft also reached a $750 million settlement
and
strategic partnership with AOL Time Warner Inc in May.
In January, Microsoft settled a number of class-action lawsuits filed in
California for $1.1 billion. That settlement returned money to consumers in
the form of vouchers to buy computers and computer-related items.
|