"At Sun, we're planning on maintaining Java's ubiquity as the number one runtime environment, backed by the world's most price performant datacenter infrastructure, all powered by Sun's cloud." That, in no uncertain terms, is Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's vision for Java and stresses the new role that Cloud Computing is beginning to play at Sun.



"The Java platform is only growing in importance and value, across billions of devices," Schwartz noted, writing on his industry blog.

He also shared his view of the overall marketplace, as follows:

"First, freely distributed, open source software will continue to create enormous revenue opportunities for those that understand the underlying business model - as an example, the Java business for Sun, last quarter, delivered more than $67m in billings, up nearly 50% year over year. On an annualized basis, that means the Java client business (as distinct from the Java server business) is now a multi-hundred million dollar business, opening doors for Sun, and the Java community, across the planet. All built on freely available runtimes and source code. Free as in beer, free as in speech, and free as in market.

Second, devices are becoming functionally equivalent - what you can do with Flash is comparable to Silverlight, and again comparable to JavaFX. We each have our specialty, but over the long haul, my view is adoption rates and business models will be a greater driver of success than the technologies themselves. Why? Because if you're Amazon building the extraordinary Kindle 2, it matters that Sun won't put its business model between you and your customers - you want the technology you select to enable your business, not your supplier's, while enabling access to the world's largest developer community. (That said, must you use JavaFX or Flash or Silverlight to be a part of the rich internet future? Well, no - Apple used Objective-C for the iPhone, after all, completely discrediting the purist notion that if the app isn't written with a web scripting language, it isn't fashion forward).

Finally, the consumer electronics market is going to be infinitely more vibrant and competitive than the relatively stagnant personal computer market. Having just seen a host of new Java devices, from automobile dashboards and BluRay DVD players, to set top boxes, picture frames, VOIP phones and new consumer electronics... the economy might be cooling down, but the RIA market is definitely heating up."