Sun Microsystems
Sun strongly supports the open standards process -- open access to technology is what JavaSoft is built on. Not only do standards bodies make great contributions in keeping technologies stable and accessible to all comers, they enable a viable clone market. As Scott McNealy is fond of saying, "Bare your interfaces, compete on implementations!" This is the same business model that JavaSoft follows.

From the time the first Java code was released to the Internet about two years ago, Sun's Java technologists have maintained contact with the relevant standards bodies. We intend to contribute the elements of the Java platform to the standardization process as they become mature.

Allan Hess, Business Development Manager, IBM Internet Division:
As the fastest adopted technology in the history of our industry, you could say Java is already a standard part of the way we do computing. The process that JavaSoft has created with its licensees and the developer community allows new Java functions to be delivered at a rapid but managable rate, and in an open manner. The 100 Percent Pure Java initiative defines compliance for this open standard so that developers and users will be assured of the benefits of the "write once, run anywhere" paradigm. This model works well in Web time, where speed to market is key, and also addresses developers' needs for standards.

Arthur Van Hoff, Chief Technology Officer, Marimba, Inc.
Java should become an open standard if it is able to maintain its elegance, simplicity and ease of use. While developing the Java language, we spent a great deal of time discussing the importance of various language features and it became clear that Java could only be created by a small group of people.

Now, after only two years of public release, market demand has made Java a ubiquitous and widely accepted standard which is, in my opinion, mature enough to withstand the rigors of an open standards committee. Yes, it is time for Java to become an open standard, but let's keep Java simple!

Symantec
Symantec encourages that Java continue to be an open standard managed by JavaSoft. JavaSoft has taken a very open approach to the definition and direction of the Java language and implementation, involving key industry players, tool vendors and customers. This early access to information and Java source code has also brought to the forefront a sense that all vendors are on the same level. There is no one vendor with an inside advantage to the language. It keeps competition in balance.

Unfortunately, efforts done by standardization groups often result in complex languages, such as C++. When there is a standard group formed of dozens or so selected members, the language becomes bloated with too many features. Often, these features suit a select number of users rather than the customers as a whole. The open nature of Java has allowed input from a variety of developers and vendors. The result of the open standard is the emergence of a straightforward, simple, but powerful language.

Borland
As part of Borland's Golden Gate strategy of interoperable tools, Borland provides support for industry standards. JBuilder supports Java Beans, the standard Java component model, as well as other industry standards and is based on Sun's JDK1.1. Java is an open language today and should continue to be so. Borland has played a significant role in defining JDK 1.1 and the Java Beans component model by working closely with Sun. Borland is committed to providing top quality software development tools that scale from the desktop to the enterprise.