Here?s an ear to ground report on Java, one of the computer industry?s best-known brands and most widely deployed technologies?3 billion mobile phones and 1.1 billion desktops run Java, 31 times more Java phones ship every year than Apple and Android combined, while 100% of all Blu-ray players run Java.
Around 1.4 billion Java cards are manufactured each year, growing at 1.7 billion devices per year. In short, Java powers set-top boxes, printers, Web cameras, games, car navigation systems, lottery terminals, medical devices, parking payment stations and more.
When Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in a $7.5 billion deal two years back, doubts were cast whether Oracle would ensure continued investment and innovation in Java technology, originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems. Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it was too advanced for the digital cable television industry at that time. Doubts were cast because Sun tried to make money off Java, but without much success. And chances were that a business-focused company like Oracle might relegate open source technology such as Java to the background if business returns were not forthcoming.
Cut to present day. Fact is, Java is one of the most important software Oracle has ever acquired and the US software maker has been very disciplined about extracting money from its technologies.
Not surprising, Oracle is going full-force at trying to make money from Java, a path the erstwhile Sun Microsystems hadn?t pursued strongly.
?Oracle is a business-focused company and Java is vital to its success. Oracle is making huge investments in making sure that Java thrives in various areas,? says Nandini Ramani, vice-president of Java Client Development at Oracle.
Oracle?s overall strategy is to deliver a complete, open, integrated stack of hardware, infrastructure, database, middleware, and business applications. The goal is to make hardware and software work together to provide better manageability, serviceability, and so on. In an effort to creatively integrate and optimise hardware and software, Oracle strongly supports the open source Java community.
But before we delve into Oracle?s business strategy and vision of Java?s future, here?s a ready reckoner on the open source technology. Till date, the Java platform has attracted more than 6.5 million software developers with some nine million using Java regularly during the work day. ?Oracle itself has over Java 10,000 developers,? says Ramani. It?s used in every major industry segment and has a presence in a wide range of devices, computers, and networks.
A layman might wonder, why software developers choose Java? With its versatility, efficiency, and portability, Java has become invaluable to developers by enabling them to: write software on one platform and run it on virtually any other platform; create programs to run within a Web browser and Web services; Develop server-side applications for online forums, stores, polls, HTML forms processing, and more; combine applications or services using the Java language to create highly customised applications or services; write powerful and efficient applications for mobile phones, remote processors, low-cost consumer products, and practically any other device with a digital heartbeat, and many more. Many Indian colleges and universities offer courses in programming for the Java platform.
One of the great things about Java is that if you learn the language, learn the platform and the libraries, then you have an incredible variety of deployment options and ways you can target the things you are developing? whether for the enterprise, desktop, or mobile and embedded space,? said Steven Harris, Oracle?s senior vice-president of Application Server Development in an earlier presentation.
Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle?s fastest growing business, is built on top of Java language and software. ?Therefore, Oracle can now ensure continued innovation and investment in Java technology for the benefit of customers and the Java community,? says Harshad Oak, founder of IndicThreads & Rightrix Solutions and the author of several articles on Java technology.
Oracle seems to like the aroma of Java as it is advancing the Java platform and optimising it for new application models and hardware, including extended support for scripting languages, increased softwware developer productivity and lower operational costs.
Specifically, it is working to modernise the Java mobile platform by delivering Java with Web support to consumer devices. Oracle is also planning other enhancements including new language features, small-footprint CPU-efficient capa-bilities for cards, phones and TVs.
In short, a great deal of sweat and brain is being devoted at Oracle to maintaining Java as the most popular, productive, and successful programming language in existence.
