SAP's pledge to incorporate the newest version of the
Java platform in a technical preview of the next version of SAP
Netweaver should be good news for users, according to analyst firm
Gartner.
The application server, which uses Java Enterprise Edition 5
(Java EE 5), will be a key part of the SAP stack. The software is
due to be released by the end of 2007.
The move will mean that users of SAP enterprise software can be
sure of using an open architecture, said Gartner research
vice-president Daniel Scholler.
"In the past, SAP has been accused of not being committed to
standards. Competitors cite as evidence its current Java stack,
which is on version 1.3 of J2EE, while all competing products
support version 1.4. SAP is using this announcement to reaffirm its
commitment to Java EE and to standards in general. It also hopes to
dispel the traditional image of a supplier eager to lock customers
in through proprietary technology," he said.
SAP is the third supplier to announce Java EE 5 compatibility,
after Sun and Tmax Soft said their products would support it.
