As Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun Microsystems, so eloquently put it, "The network is the computer." And Java is it's language.

Java began life as Oak (the name was soon changed to Java due to naming conflicts), an object language for embedded systems. Programmers began embedding Java in internet browsers and Java soon became the de facto language of the internet. Sun Microsystems expanded Java, adding enhanced networking, display, and distributed architecture capabilities until today Java is a complete network and distributed architecture enterprise business development system.

Sun continues to add capabilities to Java. They are developing a new Java-based component architecture that will allow business objects and components to intelligently communicate with each other. This new vision and others like it ensure that Java will be the language of choice for enterprise business systems for years to come.

Sun's program to add capabilities to Java is geared specifically toward increasing the ways in which the internet and distributed architectures can be used in enterprise business situations. There are interim fixes that will allow legacy applications to talk to the internet but companies that don't transform their legacy systems to Java will not be able to take advantage of the vast array of new internet capabilities that are being provided by Sun, IBM, and other vendors.

Below are some of the Java-based technologies Sun has been and is now developing:

• JFC - Java Foundation Classes - these are the basic components of Java.
• Swing - Java's advanced windowing toolkit for developing sophisticated user interfaces.
• JDBC - Java Data Base Connectivity - allows a Java program to send data base requests to an external data base (such as Oracle or IBM's DB2).
• SQLJ - allows a Java program to embed data base requests directly in the program.
• Java Beans - a way of constructing Java objects and components so they can be intelligently used by interactive development systems (such as IBM's Websphere Developer or the Eclipse platform).
• JMS - Java Message Service - a way for Java objects and components to send messages to each other.
• RMI - Remote Method Invocation - a way for Java objects and components that are distributed across a network to request that other objects and components perform some work or service.
• JNDI - Java Naming And Directory Interface - a way for a Java object or component to locate other objects and components so messages can be sent or work requested.
• Java Servlets - pieces of Java code that run inside servers to provide services to a client.
• EJB - Enterprise Java Beans - a component transaction model for units of business logic and business data.
• J2EE - Java 2 Enterprise Edition - a framework for implementing Java technologies in the business enterprise.
• JTA - Java Transaction API - a Java enterprise application interface for managing distributed transactions.
• JINI - a Java based component architecture that allows distributed components to intelligently install themselves and interact with other JINI compliant components.

Right now EJB and J2EE are the hot Java topics. Nobody knows where Java is going and what new Java technologies will be available in the next few years. We do know that new technologies will be developed specifically to support business activity on the internet and enhanced business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) communications. It is essential for your business survival to transform to Java. Comptramatics can transform your legacy systems to Java and position you to take advantage of these emerging technologies.

Visit Sun's Java site and learn more about why your company should invest its valuable resources with Java.