Sun Microsystems will ship Java 2 Enterprise Edition 1.4
next week, which is designed to enable the use of web services in
Java applications, along with an application server based on the
new platform.
The J2EE 1.4 reference implementation, for developing compliant
applications, also will become Version 8 of Sun's application
server, said Sun's Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president for
software.
"The 1.4 reference implementation will in fact be our
(basic-level) application server," offered free of charge, Schwartz
said. "Anybody can get our application server," said Schwartz.
However, higher-level application servers that are more scalable
and fault-resilient also will be available for a price. Schwartz
pledged that Sun, which has trailed in the Java application server
market behind companies such as IBM and BEA Systems, will become
the unit volume leader in application servers.
Paul Krill writes for InfoWorld
