When IBM and Oracle recently announced that they would join forces to advance the OpenJDK project, many in the Java community were surprised — maybe none more than supporters of Project Harmony, the open source Java implementation developed and licensed by the Apache Software Foundation. Most observers viewed the move, which brought together two of the biggest players in the Java ecosystem, as a positive development for the future of Java technology.
One Java commentator, Athen O’Shea, compiled a roundup of the ensuing commentary for IBM’s developerWorks, touching on all the implications of the Oracle-IBM alliance on OpenJDK. Among the issues he addresses are what it means for Project Harmony, the JCP, and the future of open source and open standards-based development on the Java platform. He writes:
At the heart of the Oracle-IBM announcement are hard choices made by an industry in flux, from multinational corporations with long-term technology investment to smaller companies and individuals deciding whether to continue developing software on the Java platform.
Although obviously an IBM-centric overview, O’Shea’s piece does provide plenty of links to a diverse array of Java interests.
