The JCP introduced the Annual Awards six years ago to recognize excellence in Java standards development and innovation. Since its launch in 1998 as the open, inclusive process to develop and revise Java technology specifications, reference implementations, and technology compatibility kits, the Java Community Process program has fostered the evolution of the Java platform in cooperation with the international Java developer community.

'Organizations now have a choice that reduces the complexity associated with legacy Java EE servers,' said SpringSource CEO Rod Johnson yesterday as his company attempted to redefine the application server market by releasing the SpringSource Application Platform, an enterprise Java application server that Johnson contends provides 'a dramatically simpler alternative to legacy application servers and redefines the way in which Java applications are deployed and run.'

The Java Community Process (JCP) Program Management Office (PMO) and the Executive Committees, have announced the nominations for the 2008 JCP Program Annual Awards. Among the international honors for Java technology, the JCP Program Awards recognize excellence in Java standards development and innovation.

Here is a question that I have been pondering on and off for quite a while: Why do 'cool kids' choose Ruby or PHP to build websites instead of Java? I have to admit that I do not have an answer. Why do I even care? Because I am a Java developer. Like many Java developers, I get along with Java well. Not only the language itself, but the development environments (Eclipse for example), step-by-step debugging helper, wide availability of libraries and code snippets, and the readily accessible information on almost any technical question I may have on Java via Google. Last but not least, I go to JavaOne and see 10,000 people that talk and walk just like me.

Key opinion-formers in the field of infrastructure and pioneers of virtualization technologies of all types have already begun submitting speaking proposals to Virtualization Conference & Expo 2008 East, being held in New York City, 23-24 June, 2008. Topics covered will range from Server Virtualization, Application Virtualization, Desktop Virtualization, Network Virtualization, I/O Virtualization and Storage Virtualization, to Virtual Machine Automation, Physical to Virtual (P2V) Migration, Management Applications, Tools and Utilities, and Virtualization Scripts and Procedures.

SpringSource, formerly known as Interface21, has announced the final release of Spring.NET 1.1, an application framework for the development and deployment of enterprise .NET applications. With roots in the widely used Spring Framework programming model for Java, Spring.NET extends the features of the Spring Framework to the .NET environment.

Roughly two years ago, when I was writing an article on 'New Features for Device Developers in Visual Studio 2005' that was published in the August 2005 issues of this magazine, our program management team was already busy shaping the next release of the product, which is soon to be released as Visual Studio 2008. We spent a lot of time talking to our major customers and reviewing the feedback we got on blogs and questions on forums on newsgroups to identify what enhancements/features would be most useful to our device developers. One thing that surfaced was that device developers needed more help when it came to testing their applications efficiently. Whether that meant testing on multiple devices or under varying conditions or simply being able to write unit tests, they clearly needed help getting applications to market faster by reducing the testing time.

froglogic GmbH today announced version 3.3 of the leading, cross-platform automated GUI testing tool Squish. Squish supports creating and running automated GUI tests of applications based on many user interface technologies including Trolltech's Qt, Java AWT/Swing/NetBeans, Java SWT/Eclipse RCP, Web/HTML/AJAX and Mac OS X Carbon/Cocoa. Squish is being successfully used in QA departments across the world in companies such as Reuters Financial Software, EADS, Siemens, Synopsys, Xilinx, Trolltech and France Telecom Group.

Objective Interface Systems, Inc. announced that ORBexpress RT, its high-performance CORBA ORB, now supports Mentor Graphics Corporation's Nucleus operating system. Developers of a wide variety of resource-constrained devices can now get a high-performance, small-footprint software development platform from industry leaders who have carefully integrated their products to maximize ease-of-use.

Think of Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) and you probably think about screen popping IT systems and automated dialling. And you might also think CTI is a complex system development. Rostrvm Solutions? new Java toolbar provides easily-deployable standard CTI functions and more.

This session will dive straight into the middle of a real-world open source SOA implementations, showing how all the facets of how the SOA Big Rules are attained within the solution. This will cover an in-depth walkthrough, by example and demos, of: How to implement large XML Schema-driven document/literal Web services using partly Java EE 5 and partly J2EE 1.4; How security is enabled through certificate-based authentication with WS-Security; How the services are orchestrated with WS-BPEL; and how JSR-168 portlets leverage the end-user experience and how these are exposed using WSRP. The solution is based strictly on open source software and a guide for picking the right frameworks and the right products in the myriad of these will be addressed as well. Prerequisites: Knowledge of Java technology, IDEs, XML, and an interest in SOA.

Java expert Mark Hansen provides a practical introduction to using Java Web services and AJAX to implement SOA. Mark covers creating, deploying, and invoking Web services that can be composed into loosely coupled SOA applications. He begins by reviewing the 'big picture,' including the challenges of Java-based SOA development. Next, he introduces the latest Java EE 5 Web services APIs and discusses how they work with AJAX. He concludes by showing how AJAX and Java Web services can be used to integrate Yahoo Shopping, eBay, and Amazon to create a universal shopping application.

Applications continue to become more on-demand and application environments continue to grow in complexity and scale. Real-time troubleshooting is now a requirement for every application administrator, developer, and support person. How can developers, data center professionals, and support staff understand what's happening with their distributed applications and troubleshoot problems more effectively? This session will highlight the challenges of troubleshooting modern application environments. We'll examine tools and techniques and provide practical advice through real-world troubleshooting examples. Attendees will learn more effective approaches to common and complex problem identification, analysis, and resolution.

In keeping with the longstanding SYS-CON tradition of being at the very forefront of software development with all its online and offline resources, SYS-CON Media & Events jointly today announced a double whammy, launching both 'Open Web Developer's Journal' (htt p://openweb.sys-con.com) and 'Open Web Developer Summit' (http://openweb.s ys-con.com) - to be held for the first time in New York City April 21-22, 2008.

Ikivo AB and Sun Microsystems announced that Ikivo has joined the NetBeans Strategic Partner Program. This alliance will assure that the NetBeans community of developers, have access to enhanced authoring tool solutions for rapid creation and deployment of Mobile SVG content and rich media services to Java Platform, Mobile Edition (Java ME) devices.

IONA Technologies has released a new version of its FUSE family of open source SOA products and updates to the FUSE community. The FUSE products are IONA's tested and certified releases of SOA Open Source projects at the Apache Software Foundation. IONA selects specific releases from each project, which it tests, fully documents, and distributes under the Apache License.

The IM3910 is the newest member of Imsys' IM3000 platform family of Reconfigurable System on Chip - RSoC products. The combination with Java makes it useful for applications such as automation networking, battery powered devices, Internet connected equipment, and Java enabled remote control, point of purchase systems and facility management, says the company.

db4objects, Inc announced that db4o runs on the Android platform, a software stack for mobile devices introduced by the Google-backed Open Handset Alliance. db4o fills the gap by providing a fast and secure, native Java object database that makes storing objects and sharing of data between applications simple and easy.

Speaking at JavaPolis on 14 December, Luciad will share some of its eight years of advanced Java experience in the context of advanced graphical applications. The presentation focuses on some of the techniques used to obtain the high performance of LuciadMap and discusses pros and cons, do's and don'ts. For developers new to Java graphics, it should be clear that Java holds no limitations for high performance graphics, the more advanced Java graphics developer may pick up a few new ideas.

LiveTime Software announced that LiveTime applications will be available as VMware virtual appliances in the first quarter of 2008. Based on LiveTime's custom JeOS Linux distribution optimized for Java runtime environments and virtual machines, organizations can deploy LiveTime on existing VMware servers or VMware player.

TrustedOpinion.com has named Java pioneer Gene Leybzon as Chief Technology Officer to support the company?s growth and technology development. Since its official launch in February 2007, TrustedOpinion.com has acquired over 350,000 members who benefit from recommendations based on the opinions of those in their social network.

ESRI will host an online seminar this month that will help Java developers learn about how to build custom GIS Web applications using ArcGIS Server. Building Applications with ArcGIS Server Using the Java Platform will air on ESRI's Training and Education Web site at www.esri.com/lts on December 13, 2007, at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. (Pacific standard time).

The SCOPE Alliance published a new white paper ?Mapping Java Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE) and SAForum: A NEP Perspective? in support of SCOPE?s mission of enabling and promoting the availability and interoperability of open Carrier Grade Base Platforms (CGBP) based on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) building blocks.

Cloudsmith, Inc introduced the Cloudsmith service (www.cloudsmith.com). The site, now in public beta, is designed to make it easier and faster for developers to assemble, use and reuse software components. Cloudsmith?s infrastructure also aggregates the work of developer communities to help them create and maintain software configurations, with or without the support of a commercial vendor.

Vgo Software, Inc announced the addition of an Object Repository to the 2.0 release of its Forms to Java conversion tool, Evo. 'The Evo Object Repository will allow users to consolidate business logic across thousands of Forms and applications, aiding customers in creating code that boasts a higher degree of maintainability than any competing product can achieve, and most importantly, providing consolidation of business rules at an enterprise level,' said CEO, Ernst Renner.

JetBrains announced the availability of IntelliJ IDEA 7.0, the next generation of Java IDE (integrated development environment). In releasing this version, JetBrains delivered on their commitment to answering the latest needs of Java developers and provide support for some of the most in-demand technologies and tools of today.

Coverity Inc announced expanded capabilities of the company's open source code analysis site. The open source Scan site will provide static source code analysis for Java-based open source projects as an extension of Coverity's relationship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the 'Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation Open Source Hardening Project.'

Marc Fleury - who started JBoss in the early 2000, sold it in 2006 and is now retired - has been commenting on Oracle's $6.6BN bid for BEA Systems. 'The combination just makes sense from most angles I can think of,' he writes. Of Alfred Chuang, BEA's current CEO, he predicts: 'It is going to get nasty and he *will* be dragged out kicking and screaming.'

'Oracle is prepared to proceed immediately,' says the official letter delivered today to the Board of Directors of BEA by Oracle, which is proposing to acquire BEA for $17.00 per share in cash - a 25% premium over yesterday's closing price of $13.62. 'We have made a serious proposal including a substantial premium for BEA,' said Oracle President Charles Phillips.

'BEA shareholders should not assume that Oracle will renew its $17 per share offer in the future,' thundered an announcement dispatched to the wires yesterday by Oracle just hours after the lapse of its 5PM Pacific Time deadline for the acceptance by BEA shareholders of its $6.7BN unsolicited bid for the company. 'Over the last twenty days the BEA Board has repeatedly rejected our offer and refused to meet with us,' the statement noted.

I asked what she did for a living. She said she was a software engineer working with SOA. I did not think about my plane ride much until I arrived in San Francisco to attend the SOA World Conference & Expo this past Monday and Tuesday. The first day of the conference as I walked into the hotel, guess who I saw? My friend who I met on the Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul. What a small world, isn't it? Her company was one of the sponsors of the event.

A seasoned Java professional has to know more than just syntax of the Java language. Java EE offers a set of standardized technologies for enterprise development. A number of open-source frameworks such as Spring or Hibernate are widely used in a variety of Java applications. Familiarity with new 'beyond-Java' languages and technologies will widen your horizons and make you more valuable Java professional. The Real-World Java Seminar is a one-day event that's packed with technical presentations delivered by the Java industry experts. Attending this event will allow you to take a fresh look at the architecture of your the projects you're working on now, and can serve as a roadmap for your further development as a Java professional. Ten sessions which will be presented at the seminat cover the following topics: