Sun Microsystems VP On Java in Japan
Our final program from Sun’s JavaOne conference sees Rich Green, VP and General Manager for Java software, fielding questions on the content provider ecosystem, the transfer of made-in-Japan mobile programming expertise to overseas markets, and how terminals are becoming ever more complicated – due at least in part to Java. One of the most interesting questions that Rich addresses is whether carriers outside Japan will be able to create and foster a “content ecosystem” similar to that established domestically by NTT DoCoMo (and, to a similar degree if not extent, competitors J-Phone and KDDI) — which many have pointed to as a major reason behind the success of mobile computing (and Java) on Japan’s wireless webs.
Comments from Wireless Watch Japan Editor-in-Chief Daniel Scuka:
In this program, we finish up our three-part special series from Sun’s JavaOne conference in Yokohama. Today we speak with Rich Green, VP and GM for Java at Sun and an eloquent spokesperson who knows the Java platform inside and out. Rich covers a lot of territory and touches on Java in Japan, expansion overseas, terminal development, Sun’s business model for wireless, and much more.
One of the most interesting questions that Rich addresses is whether carriers outside Japan will be able to create and foster a “content ecosystem” similar to that established domestically by NTT DoCoMo (and, to a similar degree if not extent, competitors J-Phone and KDDI) — which many have pointed to as a major reason behind the success of mobile computing (and Java) on Japan’s wireless webs. Rich states unequivocally that, yes, carriers elsewhere are planning to do so, and have begun to do so, but that their efforts to date appear to be lagging those of Japanese carriers when i-mode and Java started here. “I was impressed [in] October 2000,” says Green, “when DoCoMo held their first developer conference — it was well before their first [Java] deployment. I thought that was a very thoughtful and aggressive model in building this ecosystem.”
Green agrees that in the US, there’s a great deal of experience in building developer ecosystems around PC games and other functions, and so he feels that this experience will “transfer readily to the Java-powered handset world.” Unfortunately, the push from key players is still to come — despite carriers like Sprint having already deployed Java-powered mobile computing environments. “I’m not sure it’s happening quite as quickly as it did in Japan,” he says, and: “I think [this] is a killer opp for companies in the US to accelerate their position in the market by building these ecosystems.” Green’s final word for these would-be ecosystem hubs? “Get to work!” (with a grin).
“I was impressed [in] October 2000 when DoCoMo held their first developer conference — it was well before their first [Java] deployment. I thought that was a very thoughtful and aggressive model in building this ecosystem.”
I agree with his thesis, but would like to point out that for Sprint (and others planning on rolling out Java or — dare I say it during our Sun program — BREW), it is still early days. DoCoMo didn’t have to work **that** hard to establish a Java ecosystem in the fall of 2000 (Java launch was in January 2001) since a thriving ecosystem for i-mode was already in place.
Granted, the existing ecosystem was focused on cHTML and content like screen wallpapers and ring tones, but many of the then-current content providers (Cybird, Index, Walt Disney, et al) simply retooled to start pumping out Java applets. The only “new for Java” content provider that immediately comes to mind is G-Mode.
Therefore the Sprints, Verizons, and AT&T Wireless’ of this world have to start from scratch not only for simple content, like images, cHTML/xHTML mini-web pages, and ring tones, but also for advanced stuff like executable Java programs. It’s a tall order, and WWJ, for one, will be watching closely to see how they fare.