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 The job of an Executive Committee (EC) representative
is a serious commitment. The time required is extensive, and includes reading of specifications, Reference Implementations (RIs),
and Technology Compatibility Kits (TCKs), as well as regular attendance at EC meetings and teleconferences to discuss and vote on
various technical and process topics. Besides voting on Java Specification Requests (JSRs) at various stages, the EC guides the
Program Management Office (PMO) in the evolution of the Java Community Process (JCP) program. EC decisions can have significant,
long-term consequences to not only the community, but also in the industry and the market. Still, plenty of JCP participants relish
the task of representing a corporation, non-profit, open source group, or themselves.
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Research in Motion (RIM) became a full member of the JCP program in March 2000. Over the years, 19 employees have actively contributed to the shaping of 30 or so JSRs by getting involved in Expert Groups. RIM served on the ME EC for the past two years, with a solid record for voting on ballots and attending meetings. In the marketplace, the company proved its commitment to Java technology in deciding to implement BlackBerry handheld applications entirely in the Java language. The constraints of mobile hardware present unique challenges to software development, and RIM claims unique expertise as the only major mobile device vendor to use Java as a platform base rather than as an add-on.
Mike Rybak, Standards Manager at RIM, contributed to the development of some of the core concepts on which the BlackBerry system is based. Mike represents RIM on the ME EC and participates in JSRs 248, 249, 281, 300, and 306. Of his service on the EC, Mike says, "The issues we run into tend to be large and take a very long time to resolve. I'd like to think that, if nothing else, I helped RIM's business partners who are also on the committee to better understand how we can evolve the Java ecosystem to our mutual benefit. Personally and professionally, I'm most interested in ensuring that mobile Java becomes the dominant mobile software platform despite intense competition from other mobile software platforms."
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