MS counters Sun on Java standard

Web language at centre of struggle to determine who sets official standard

A Microsoft-led group of industry giants has objected to Sun Microsystems? plans for a Java standard in time to meet last week?s deadline set by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

Microsoft has also announced it will buy Dimension X, a San Francisco developer which uses Java to create interactive features for multimedia Web pages.

The acquisition marks Microsoft?s acceptance that Java has become a universal language, after previously scorning it.

Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, Microsoft was understood to have paid $50 million for Dimension X, which employed 50 people.

Sun wants to have Java turned into an official standard by becoming the first supplier to be named as a ?publicly available submitter? (PAS) by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the ISO. But, while this provides a swift route to a standard, it would turn Sun into Java?s controlling body in its own right, raising suspicions among some companies that it is not sincere about making Java an open standard.

As well as Microsoft, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Compaq and Texas Instruments are among the companies that have taken an anti-Sun stance. Only IBM has backed Sun, but with certain pre-conditions.

Microsoft senior vice president Brad Silverberg warned that the ISO and IEC would damage their own credibility if Sun?s proposals were accepted.

?Microsoft believes that Sun?s application demonstrates that Sun wishes to retain full ownership and control over its Java specifications while simultaneously reaping the benefit of an ISO/IEC standard for its proprietary technology,? said Silverberg. ?[Acceptance] would also create an adverse precedent with numerous and long-lasting problems for the standards community.?