Sun Microsystems is reorganizing its JavaSoft division in the face of growing complaints from partners about JavaSoft's failure to meet product deadlines and its continual redrawing of the line between its role as a product company and as the guardian of the Java platform. To address these issues, a new regime has been established within JavaSoft that will be headed by Jonathan Schwartz, JavaSoft's new director of product marketing. Schwartz is the former CEO of JavaSoft's Lighthouse design subsidiary and a member of The McKinsey Institute. Despite Schwartz's new role and influence, senior Sun sources denied any change in JavaSoft President Alan Baratz's role within the company.
Partners hope the changes make a difference.
Most of the time we don't know if they are going to end up competing with us. But we do see Schwartz as a very brilliant product strategist. Nonetheless, JavaSoft has a lot of fences to mend with its partners, and critics have said if JavaSoft doesn't get its product strategy right, the freeware industry will do it for them. Recently, a group of programmers created a freeware version of the Java virtual machine, available on a Web site, and another site has created freeware Java class libraries. The company's ORB will be included in the next generation of its Java Development Kit, and JavaSoft will charge separately for ORB services.