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Roundtable
Newly Elected JCP Executive Committee Members Reflect on Past, Peer into Future
by John Bacon �
The Executive Committees (EC), the broad oversight boards
chartered to guide the development and evolution of Java technologies,
were first elected by the JCP membership in the fall of 2000.
There are two ECs. The Standard/Enterprise Edition (SE/EE) EC oversees
the Java technologies for the desktop/server space (with responsibility
for the J2SE and J2EE specifications). The Micro Edition (ME)
EC that oversees the Java technologies for the consumer/embedded
space (with responsibility for the J2ME specifications). Each EC
has 16 members, 10 Sun nominees that were ratified by JCP members
and 5 elected members from a pool of self- nominated companies
and organizations. Sun also holds a seat on each committee. This
year, two companies relinquished their EC seats. So there are
two extra elected representatives finishing those terms.
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The twelve companies and individuals chosen in the fall of 2003 to remain
on or join the Executive Committees (EC) for the Java Community Process
(JCP) Program represent as wide a variety of interests around the globe as
the JCP members who voted for them.� Recent interviews with the representatives
reveal that all share two thoughts about the JCP program: They are
impressed with its evolution over the past five years and they are excited
about what the future holds. “It's great to experience the increased market uptake of
Java technology," says Ericsson's Angana Ghosh, who begins a three-year term
with the Micro Edition (ME) EC. "And it sure is fun to be able to play with
and take advantage of new creative applications enabled by the continuous
development of the J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) execution environment!"
Ericsson and Intel were elected to the ME EC in the fall. Ratified
were Matsushita, Motorola, Siemens and� Vodafone. On the Standard/Enterprise
(SE/EE) side, ratified members included Fujitsu,� Hewlett-Packard,
IBM and Oracle. Elected were� industry experts Doug Lea and Richard
Monson-Haefel.
Ikuo Minakata, who represents Matsushita and its Panasonic
brand on the SE/EE committee, says the JCP program has evolved
cleanly from the relatively informal process to a formalized effort
overseen by an international committee "of which
our company is honored to be a part." The cooperative effort, he says, is
vital. "It
gives those who participate a voice in shaping the technology to meet their
competitive needs, in actively contributing to its direction, and in having
their work become part of the official Java platform," he said.
Tony Baker,
representing Intel, says that pervasive computing, the growing capabilities
of wireless connectivity, and the importance of Web Services will all require
corresponding developments in Java technology and an even broader array
of devices that use Java technology. "In the J2ME space, Java specifications
will need to keep pace with the increased capabilities of hardware, including
3D graphics, multimedia, location-aware computing, and security for web
services-based commerce," he
said.
Don Deutsch, who represents Oracle,� sees a lot of momentum
in the Web services area and enterprise grid computing. "We are working
hard to continue opening the JCP program up to the broadest possible
audience and levelling the playing field so that all parties have the
same rights and responsibilities when they participate," he said.� Doug
Lea says he is impressed with the evolution of the JCP program. As for
future technology? "I
never try to predict," he says. "I'm
always wrong."
Read on to meet and hear more from the new EC members.
J2SE/J2EE
Ratified Members:
Masahiko Narita, Fujitusu Ltd.
Masahiko Narita serves as
director of the Planning Department, Strategy and Technology Division,
Software Group in Fujitsu. He has been very active in promoting
the object technology in the Japanese market. He notes that within
the JCP program, Fujitsu is active in more than 30 Experts Groups,
including being the Spec Lead for JSR (Java Specification Request)
87, Java Agent Services. Fujitsu also participates in the JCP EC Ad Hoc Committees
working to improve the JCP process itself. "Being able to help direct the
future of Java technology is an important differention between Java and
competitive systems," Narita says. "Being a member of the JCP program
and participating in Expert Groups (EG) is key to having a say in future
Java technology releases. JCP 2.6 will facilitate making the work of
all JSR EGs more visible to the entire JCP membership." In the future,
he sees greater visibility for the work being done by the JCP program
and EGs.
Scott Jameson, Hewlett-Packard
Scott Jameson has served as HP's
principal representative on the SE/EE EC since April, 2001. Jameson
is Director, Standards Strategy in HP's Software Global Business
Unit and has participated in many standardization activities since
1978. He says the JCP program has evolved into a more open and inclusive
process, particularly with the introduction of JCP 2.0 in 2000 and
embracing of the open source community in 2002 (JCP 2.5). "We continue
to see improvements in the JCP, such as the increased transparency
of the work in individual JSRs that will result from the recently
approved JSR 215 (JCP 2.6)," he says.
A significant issue facing the SE/EE EC is the overall architecture
of the Java platform, he adds. "For example, with close to 100
JSRs defining J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition), there is occasionally
overlap and duplication in JSRs that have been developed independently," he
says. This increases the complexity in the platform and reduces
ease-of-use for the developer community, he says. "The
EC has discussed the issue of the architectural integrity of
the platform in the past, and should continue to explore mechanisms
to address this in the future," he
says. From a process perspective, we see a continued improvement
in the openness, transparency and balance of the JCP program.
From a technology view, we see a shift of emphasis, from adding
significant new functionality to making that functionality easier
to use and deploy in the marketplace.
Mark Thomas, IBM
Mark Thomas is program
director of Java Technology for IBM's Software Group. He says that
IBM's customers are strongly focused on implementing emerging standards
such as XML and Web Services. "In order to be effective, these
standards require strong collaboration between software providers," he
says. For example, IBM provides the Specification Lead for Java
Specification Request 109 (Implementing Enterprise Web Services)
and is also the specification lead for JSRs 104 (XML Trust Service)
and JSR 106 (XML Digital Encryption). "The
JCP program� has definitely become much more mature in its
nature over the last 5 years," Thomas says. "JSR 215 (JCP 2.6)
has focused strongly on improving the visibility into, and accountability
of, expert groups. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes that
it introduces take effect." He noted that contributing
to a JSR, whether as leader or as a member expert, offers individuals,
and the enterprises they may represent, the chance to influence
and direct the evolution of the technology. "We all know that in
this business time is a critical success factor, and having the
inside track on the definition of a technology can sometimes make
the difference between success and failure for an implementation," he
said. In the future, Thomas says the more that Java technology
is associated with a coordinated, strong, industry-wide effort,
the more value it offers to enterprises and software vendors who
require an industrial strength, stable application platform that
works consistently well across a broad selection of computing systems.
Don Deutsch, Oracle
A 25-year veteran of the Information Technology
industry, Don Deutsch is currently Vice President, Standards Strategy
and Architecture for Oracle Corporation. For over 20 years Don
has chaired the committee charged with defining the standard that
all Relational database management system products support, the
INCITS H2 Technical Committee on Database (a.k.a., the ANSI SQL
Committee). The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recognized
Dr. Deutsch for his leadership of national and international information
technology standardization as the 2002 recipient of the Edward
Lohse Information Technology Medal. He says that one of the most
important aspects of the evolution of the JCP program has been
the new uniform JSPA, (Java Specification Participation Agreement)
which significantly levels the playing field for all participants
in the JCP program. All participants in an Expert Group for a new
JSR are now operating under the same JSPA and therefore all have
the same rights and responsibilities. And he says the JCP program
can give companies access to evolving specifications and reference
implementations, so they can bring their own products and services
to market faster. "Developers can take advantage of excellent networking
opportunities and can learn from others' experiences," he said.
Looking ahead, Deutsch says athe ECs are "working hard to continue
opening the JCP program up to the broadest possible audience and
levelling the playing field so that all parties have the same rights
and responsibilities when they participate."
Elected members:
Doug
Lea
Doug Lea was the top votegetter among candidates for election
and thus receives a three-year term. He is a professor of Computer
Science at the State University of New York at Oswego, is the author
of the book "Concurrent
Programming in Java.'' Lea says the JCP program has become more
inclusive. He says the JCP program is giving developers and companies
an edge by putting out first-rate standardized technology in a
timely manner "and then leveraging this
technology to more productively create high-quality software." Challenges
the JCP program faces include issues such as increased support
for system-level programming and for aspect-oriented programming,
and improved web service support. Also in the offing: "Dissolving
most differences between J2ME vs J2SE (Java 2 Standard Edition)." And
farther down the road, look for changes in the process. "I think
that it is inevitable that parts of the platform (like core J2SE)
will adopt a fully open-source model of development," he said.
Richard Monson-Haefel
Richard Monson-Haefel placed second among
candidates for election and claims a two-year term. He is an author
of Java-related publications and founder of the Apache Geronimo
and the OpenEJB open source projects. He serves on the J2EE 1.4
(JSR-151), EJB 2.1 (JSR-153) and EJB 3.0 (JSR 220) expert groups. "The
JCP program has come a long way. It's a lot more open to the community
and more supportive of noncommercial endeavors such as open source
software," Monson-Haefel
said. He said he hopes the committee can "tweak" the process so
specifications are developed more quickly. And he says the future
of the J2SE and J2EE platforms are ease-of-use. "We need to simply
the J2EE APIs and create a more unified programming model," he
said.
Ikuo Minakata, Matsushita
Ikuo Minakata
is responsible for strategic promotion in the field of technical
alliance and standardization at Matsushita Electric Industrial
Co., Ltd, best known for its Panasonic brand. Minakata says Matsushita's
experience in leading the development of four JSRs has provided
invaluable insight into the needs of other developers and companies.
Key issues now facing the ECs, he says, include increasing the
relevance of and relationship between JSRs and other emerging standards
and establishing "best
practices" guidelines for Reference Implementations and Technology
Compatibility Kits that address predictability of costs. Further
down the road, Minakata says that a key change will be the convergence
of Java and networking technologies in consumer electronics (CE).
Java technology already plays a highly visible role in emerging
standard interactive DTV technology, such as the Multimedia Home
Platform (MHP) and the Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP).
Java technology also plays a key role in mobile CE devices, as
exemplified by the recent JSR 185, Java for the Wireless Industry
(JTWI), standard created under the JCP program. Minakata envisions
a future where standard Java technology will be inserted into a
variety of other CE devices. "The availability of standard Java
APIs will not only allow third-party developers to extend CE devices
with rich and lifestyle-enhancing applications, but will also facilitate
the interoperation of devices from different manufacturers," he
said. That will dramatically improve consumer experience." He
also said to look for a "blurring" of the differences between the
work of the J2EE/SE EC and the J2ME EC.
Sanjay Gupta, Motorola
Sanjay Gupta is Director of Services and Applications
for Motorola. Being involved with the JCP program gives developers
a crucial edge by having the opportunity to participate in the definition
of future APIs, he said. "The JCP program is recognized worldwide
as the primary Java API specification body," he said. Gupta said
that companies also benefit because standardized solutions strengthen
the marketplace by reducing fragmentation. "Now that the JCP program
has grown significantly in size and Java technology has become
an established software platform, the JCP program must consolidate
its position as a key standards setting body, building bridges
with other leading standards organizations and thereby further
strengthening the Java community," he said. He added that Motorola
sees the wireless space becoming an increasingly important area
for Java technologies. "J2ME
is still in its relative infancy but we expect that to change over
the next few years," he said. "The major change will be a shift
from a static and relatively brittle grouping of APIs to a more
dynamic downloadable services framework."
Marquart Franz, Siemens
Marquart Franz is vice chair of the Open Mobile Alliance
(OMA) Game Services working group and principal engineer at Siemens
Corporate Technology (CT). Franz says early concerns about speed and openness
have been replaced by good compromises and collaboration. He said
the JCP program has been stellar in terms of defining a new broad
technology base and raising the line of compatibility and competition. "Developers
and companies involved with the JCP program have the advantage
of know-how gained by engaging and contributing to a new technology
while it is being shaped," he says. He notes that the number
of JSRs which influence or have impact on Big and Small Java (J2EE/SE
and J2ME) is ascending (e.g. JSR 232 and JSR 233). "The JCP executive
committees have to oversee these broader implications and have
to move the process by itself to support this technology linking," he
said. "To be a competitive technology in
the future we have to evolve the process to reach a stage where
quick technology development and adoption is possible from both
sides, technology and business."
Jochen
Hertle, Vodafone
Jochen Hertle is director of Research and Development
(Germany) for Vodafone group, the largest mobile telecommunications
network company in the world. Hertle said the JCP program evolution
has been smooth. "The major
step from JCP 1.X to 2.X, which was a great challenge, was completed
successfully." Hertle
said. "Especially in case of licensing, it was and will be a major
step in the right direction." From the carrier perspective, the
involvment in the JCP program enables developers to create a new
kind of content and allows new business models and companies an
opportunity to have major influence in the design of a common end-to-end
architecture, such as JSR 209, JSR 184, JSR 233. "One of the biggest
challenges for the ECs is to ensure that all involved parties feel
confortable and supportive," he said. Another will be the synchronisation
between different communities like OMA, OSGi and W3C. From the
technology perspective one of the biggest challenges of the EC
will be to keep the balance between the different groups such as
JSR 185 (JTWI), JSR 232, JSR 233, he said.
Angana Ghosh, Ericsson Mobile Platforms
Angana Ghosh was the top votegetter in the open election and wins
a three-year term. She has worked in various standardization forums
for Ericsson Mobile Platforms. "Ericsson and Ericsson Mobile Platforms
have watched with interest the evolution of Java Community Process
program, particularly JCP 2.5 and JCP 2.6 (JSR 215)," she says.
"We feel that the process is evolving in the right direction to
provide a level playing field for all participants." She said that
EC involvement provides an opportunity to influence and contribute
in the development of new Java standards. "As a believer in the
technology, we would like to show our commitment and deliver competitive
Java-ready platforms, and hence enable our customers to bring advanced
mobile devices and Java applications to the market," she said. Ghosh
said Ericsson is very supportive of the work done in JSR 185 (JTWI),
which specifies configuration, profiles and APIs to bring predictability
to the J2ME execution space. She said she and Ericsson would like
to be involved in its subsequent releases to work towards a defragmented
market. "Such harmonization will be a key in boosting the application
development for mobile devices," she says. Another component in
wider market acceptance is open and fair licensing models, she adds.
Tony Baker, Intel Corporation
Intel placed second in the open election and gains a one-year term.
Tony Baker is director of the Programming Systems Lab. He is a big
fan of the new process (JCP 2.6). He says it encourages the creation
of early public drafts and moves the Executive Committee vote to the
second draft. Both changes will foster early feedback. "This increased
transparency by the JCP program will result in a stronger and more
efficient process for creating compelling new specifications," he
says. He believes it is important that Java technology is a key enabling
technology for many market segments. "Instead of passively waiting
to see what new APIs become available, JCP Members can actively shape
the future capabilities and specifications of Java technology," he
says. One key issue facing the J2ME space, he says, is being able
to deal with the wide variety of devices that use the specs. "Optional
Java specifications are very important to expose new capabilities,
but along with that, there must be ways to match up capabilities of
devices with application requirements before applications are downloaded,"
he says. The pace of innovation will likely increase over the near
term, and this will yield many opportunities for Java technology,
Baker says. "An important development could be allowing applications
to be more aware of the resources available to them and to have more
say in how those resources are utilized," Baker says. |
