The case for Java
The J2EE platform has achieved broad acceptance as a core platform in most large enterprises. The ability to use J2EE across various hardware and operating systems is a key advantage of the platform. However, it has been challenged in productivity and cost. Productivity has been affected by the increased complexity of n-tier applications, immaturity of frameworks, and a greater need to understand more complex object-oriented (OO) concepts. A number of vendors are currently working to provide frameworks and tools to boost the productivity of Java and several viable options are appearing to reduce the cost of tools and the runtime platform (e.g., the free Eclipse and NetBeans IDEs, free application servers from JBoss and Hewlett-Packard). Yet the cost of tools and application servers is minimal compared to the cost of developers--and it is developer productivity that is a key platform criterion.

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A key Java factor has also been vendor choice, with several application server implementations, tools, and components. Still, although there are many J2EE implementations to choose from, the market has rapidly contracted around BEA WebLogic and IBM WebSphere. Other technically viable alternatives exist (e.g., Sun, Borland, Oracle, and HP), but none has yet mounted a serious challenge to the incumbent leaders. This choice is also driven by the Java Community Process, which creates an open forum to explore and define new platform capabilities. However, while the community effort enables a forum for new ideas, it also presents a challenge to the pace at which platform standards can evolve.

We expect Java's greatest appeal will be the creation of Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) components, with a growing number of deployments during 2002-04. The combination of Java's cross-platform support (i.e., the ability to run on various hardware and operating system combinations, not portability across application servers) and the fact that these components will be created by skilled developers with strong OO experience is key to this position. In addition, broad third-party support from application packages and strong offerings for integration and portals will act as drivers to use EJB components for enterprise business logic.

The case for .Net
Because Microsoft is the sole owner of the .Net technology stack, it gains the advantage of cohesive design. This aids developer productivity and speeds the learning of the class libraries. But, Microsoft, like its Java competitors, has not fully integrated the extended service stack with its developer tools. In addition, while its core client technologies for both thick and thin clients are stronger than current Java libraries, Microsoft's portal efforts lag behind the J2EE-based portals.

Microsoft's .Net includes greatly improved technology for creating thin-client applications. Its new WebForms components provide the ability to support multiple client types and ASP .Net provides enhanced scalability and performance by separating the underlying "model" code from the presentation HTML (typically called a Model-View-Controller architecture). This also makes it easier for Web designers to work with the pages without fear of breaking the application. The Java community is currently working to address this type of functionality with several working groups (i.e., JavaServer Faces, Java Standard Tag Libraries, and XMLC support).

The critical battleground for Microsoft is that of maintaining its Visual Basic developer base. The standard Java rhetoric has been to announce that the change between VB 6 and VB .Net is so great, developers should move to Java. Although there are many dramatic changes, we do not believe they are unmanageable. And vendors such as BEA (with its WebLogic Workshop project) are trying to create new types of Java development environments that can deliver a more compelling experience to the VB developer.

Web services provide a strong candidate that enables both .Net and J2EE to be used in organizations. The platforms are more common than different, and this similarity will only grow. For many, the initial split in technology use may be for application tiers, with EJBs being the back-end business logic and .Net maintaining Microsoft's traditional hold on the client interfaces with integration based on XML (e.g., SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI). Other organizations may split technology use across business units according to existing skills. The key is that the use of each technology should be driven by a set of clearly defined criteria to maximize technology value in the situation and leverage the development team's skills.

Business impact: Organizations' technology choices must reflect availability of skills, or they will risk enormous cost overruns.

Application Platform Selection
by Thomas Murphy
Originally published on June 20, 2002

Will you use a mixture of J2EE and .Net? TalkBack below or e-mail us with your thoughts.

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