Sun And Microsoft Vie for Java Acquisitions

Microsoft Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. are actively courting the same Java vendors -- as potential partners or outright acquisitions -- to shore up their respective Java stories, according to a Breaking News report by Deborah Gage and Darryl K. Taft on the Computer Reseller News Online Web site (http://www/crn.com).

Up until last week, Sun was negotiating to buy Cooper & Peters Inc., a Boulder, Colo.-based Java developer, said sources close to the deal. The talks fell apart after Microsoft Corp. stepped in with an offer of its own, the sources said.

Cooper & Peters markets a Java component suite, code-named EyeOpener, which includes a range of Windows 95 controls, as well as a word processor, spreadsheet and charting package, all written in Java.

Microsoft acknowledged that it has talked to the Java suite developer.

"Have we talked to Cooper & Peters -- yes. Are we going to buy them--no," said Microsoft group product manager Charles Fitzgerald. "I'm perplexed that all these talks are turning into acquisition rumors. We've talked to them about co-marketing, using our technology."

"Are they in the Java Office suite business? If you want to call a notepad and a calculator an office suite. Mostly they're in the component business," Fitzgerald added.

Sun officials refused to comment.

Microsoft also is in discussions with DimensionX -- a San Francisco-based multimedia developer and one of the first Java developers -- about a strategic alliance and possibly an equity investment, said sources close to both companies.

Sun had attempted to buy, invest in or strike an alliance with DimensionX, as well. When Microsoft became involved, Sun backed out, Sun insiders said.

Microsoft licensed DimensionX's 3-D Java viewer for inclusion in Internet Explorer as an ActiveX control.

The talks with DimensionX and Cooper & Peters come at a critical time for Microsoft. Company Chairman Bill Gates will unveil Microsoft's Java strategy during the last week of March at the Software Development conference in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, this month Microsoft will ship the beta of its ActiveX-to- JavaBeans bridge, allowing ActiveX to talk to JavaBeans and the Application Foundation Classes. That will let developers create Java applications that run very fast in Windows. The technology will ship with Internet Explorer 4.0 this summer.

Microsoft also promises announcements on JavaBeans in a few weeks. "There's a market for those components and we're looking at it," said Cornelius Willis, group product manager.

Meanwhile, JavaSoft is beta-testing a JavaBeans-to-ActiveX bridge and has been showing a JavaBean running as an ActiveX control inside PowerPoint and Internet Explorer.

Sun's software division, SunSoft, plans to support an on-line vault of JavaBeans, said SunSoft President Janpieter Scheerder.

These vaults/stores could be used as reference libraries for all sorts of different components that perform certain tasks, Scheerder said. SunSoft supports this concept because these Beans will promote the use of their development tools, he said.

Sun at JavaOne will unveil a road map for JavaBeans, and a number of alliances. Sun's JavaSoft unit also will disclose how it will use its LongView Technologies LLC acquisition to speed up Java.

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SOURCE: CMP Media, Inc.

CONTACT: Robert Faletra of Computer Reseller News, 516-265-0641