As noted above, one of the most important applications of RMI is as a foundation for a Jini distributed computing network. The elements of a Jini network must be able to communicate with the Jini protocol. The fact that Jini code runs on a JVM would not be a performance issue in many cases. Sun started out selling workstations to scientists, engineers and software developers. Sun's movement from the technical marketplace into the larger marketplace of corporate computing was slow.
Many large corporations buy from large vendors they know.
If McNealy called a CEO or Chief Information Officer to support a sale, the call might have been turned down, since the executive might not have heard of Sun or Scott McNealy. Java changed all that. Java got press far beyond anything that Sun directly promoted. Java put Sun Microsystems into the lexicon of executives at large corporations. There are a few errors in Jon Campbell's web page.