Bitter rivals Microsoft and Sun Microsystems announced an agreement
Monday under which Microsoft will extend support for its legacy
Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM) until September 30, 2004. The
agreement will give developers and other customers more time to
transition from MSJVM to Sun's Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the
companies say. The agreement also will extend the period of time
during which Microsoft can use Sun's Java source code and
compatibility-test suites.
After September 30, Microsoft will stop providing MSJVM security
updates and support, but the software will continue to work. The
company has provided extensive transition information and links to
alternative technologies on its existing Java resource Web site (see
the URL below). As part of the agreement, Microsoft now recommends
Sun's JVM and various development tools from competitors such as
Borland Software, IBM, and Oracle.
"We are very pleased that [Microsoft] and Sun have been able to
join together to protect the interests of our mutual customers," Chris
Jones, vice president for the Windows Client Division, said. "This
agreement is in direct response to our customers' request for more
time to manage the transition and to their need for continued support
of the MSJVM. Customers now have a year to identify MSJVM dependencies
and implement their migration strategies. Microsoft is committed to
supporting our customers with MSJVM migration tools and transition
information throughout this period."
This agreement has no bearing on Sun's $1 billion antitrust lawsuit
against Microsoft, which Sun launched in the wake of Microsoft's
federal antitrust case settlement and which Sun representatives say
the company is still vigorously pursuing. "The suit and the decision
from the suit are not changed by this new license," a Sun spokesperson
said yesterday. "The antitrust case is proceeding on course, and we're
not commenting further on the antitrust case at this time."