With the Java programming language increasingly the platform of choice for developing business applications, demand for software developers with experience in the technology is growing exponentially in SA - and around the world.
That's according to Jos Nickmans, channel manager at Sun Microsystems sub-Saharan Africa, who notes that the Java platform has unique attributes that set it apart from any other software programming language.
"Java is taking the world by storm owing to its portability and platform independence. This is demonstrated by the ability of Java programs to run on any device, from a cellphone right through to an enterprise server. Several leading institutions, including banks, retail outlets and telecommunications companies use the technology on their Web sites and in their enterprises," he says.
According to Nickmans, one reason for Java's popularity is that it allows companies to rapidly and cost-effectively create new applications. Sun, for example, specified and developed a portal for its new Volume Products Division in less than three weeks, at a cost of less than R25 000, thanks to Java. "In economies or business models driven by the Internet, that kind of speed and low cost can be critical to success or failure," he notes.
As the inventor of Java back in 1995, Sun is one of the biggest proponents of the technology. But the company is not just seeking to make a profit from Java: Sun really believes that Java is a better way of writing programs and it has made Java available to be used by hundreds of software companies to create products. "Java is also a cornerstone of many applications, development frameworks and operating systems based on the open source model," he adds.
South African developers interested in Java have access to Sun's extensive Java resources through its dedicated Web site at http://developers.sun.com/.
"Sun offers an enormous amount of software as well as discounted hardware, which developers can access for a nominal fee of $99 per year.
That includes access to some of the world's leading programmers, like James Gosling, who is credited as the inventor of the language, and a vibrant community that offers assistance for programmers all over the world," continues Nickmans.
Sun also created a Java Community Process (JCP) programme to develop and revise Java technology specifications in cooperation with the international Java technology community.
"The JCP programme fosters the evolution of Java technology in an open, participative manner consistent with the requirements of Internet time. It enables the developer community to take part in the specification development process openly and transparently, with or without the direct involvement of Sun," he concludes.
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Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - "The Network Is The Computer" - has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
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