Sun and IBM unveil JavaOS for business

Sun and IBM have jointly launched a Java operating system (OS) aimed at large companies. The release, to software developers and hardware manufacturers, comes just four months after announcing their original JavaOS collaboration.

Jim Hebert, Sun's general manager of computing and embedded systems, said the principal selling point for JavaOS for Business is centralised management of thin client applications and the underlying systems software.

The OS allows administrators to add or remove clients in minutes, making terminals immediately available for new employees.

Sun and IBM are targeting the release at large enterprises running transactional applications, such as finance, manufacturing, government and healthcare.

However, Ovum analyst Gary Barnett is sceptical. "Until we have products that actually support JavaOS, it's just technology and not a solution. JavaOS is another way of getting embedded Java into all kinds of machines. It's a virtuous circle: the more manufacturers make use of it, the more interest there is in developing for it," he said.

Barnett added that releasing a JavaOS for Business development kit won't help companies who can't find a solid Java developer. "The number of people who have written serious Java applications is very thin on the ground, and most of those who have are employed by IBM, Sun and Oracle."

IBM's Java marketing director, David Gee, said the two companies are actively recruiting developers to produce applications for the new OS.

However, Barnett concluded on a positive note: "Java's only three-and-a-bit years old now it's early days. But I'm increasingly upbeat about Java's future. It depends on people like Sun and IBM getting service partners on board."

JavaOS for Business will be available early next year for IBM's Network Station and Sun's JavaStation.