2006年NPR美国国家公共电台十一月-Marketplace Report: Sun Goes Open-Source

Back now with Day to Day I'm Madeleine Brand

The software company Sun Microsystems announced a new strategy today. After ten years of fiercely guarding its Java technology, Sun now plans to give it away. Marketplace's Amy Scott joins me now.
First of all, Amy, what exactly is Java ?

Well, Java is a programming language that developers use to create software and it also allows that software to run on your computer's desktop 1. Java is also used in other electronics like cell phones and medical devices close to 4 billion computers and gadgets 2 overall. So the code itself is not something the average person really sees but especially if you've used the Internet there is a good chance you're encountering Java in one way or another.

And why would Sun want to give it away?

Lately Java has been under threat from other so-called open source products which software developers like because they are free and they allow many users to tweak and perfect them. Java supporters have been pressuring the company for years to make it open source. But Sun Microsystems actually makes most of its money selling hardware and other software programs.

Analyst 3 Michael Kote with the research firm RedMonk says, by giving Java away Sun hopes to draw more customers to its other products.

Java is something that Sun uses to sort of make its larger ecosystem 4 thrive and operate effectively so the, the more popular and the more widespread the Java is, theoretically, the more benefit that, that Sun gets.

And Sun will continue to make money on Java. The free license 5 requires users to share any changes they make to Java with the public. And Kote says developers who don't wanna do that will still be able to buy a commercial license from Sun.

Amy, does Sun's move put any pressure on that other software giant, Microsoft?

Well, it's interesting. You know, Java was created in part to undermine Microsoft's dominance because Java was compatible with other operating systems. And Microsoft eventually paid Sun 2 billion dollars to settle a dispute over Microsoft's efforts to thwart 6 Java. The two companies have since made their peace. And if anything, Sun's move, if it works, may help the company stay competitive, it’s been undergoing a major turnaround effort with lay-offs and, you know, efforts to create new products. It lost billions of dollars after the dot com bust 7. And Sun is hoping its tie-up with er... with the growing open source movement will help it make that rebound 8. And coming up later today on Marketplace we'll find out just how clean those clean diesel 9 engines are .

Thank you Amy . Amy Scott of Public Video's daily business show, Marketplace, produced by American Public Media.
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bust n.
A raid