With the opening of Java, Solaris plus the purchase of MySQL, Sun is determined to show that a)it is the number one provider and user of Open Source software and b)that it can make mnoney based on an Open Source business model. This latter task has been a long and winding road. But the basic premise that good Open software will help to sell Sun hardware I think has legs.
Now having capped on the Server stack side a very strong database connection with MySQL, Sun can return to the client side. And there is a very interesting opportunity there – scripting. Windows scripting languages with various versions of Visual Basic, Script, and VSA is a mess. With the resurgence of Apple and continuing proliferation of Linux on the server side, there is even more import attached to scripting for effective cross platform integration. And of course if Windows is a mess of conflicting scripting languages, Mac and especially Linux are huge swamp messes!
But Sun is already positioned to do something quite substantial in standardizing scripting across OS platforms. Open Office, where most of the integration needs reside, has a Language Independent Office Scripting Framework. This framework uses UNO-Universal Network Objects API to allow any C++, Java plus a host of scripting languages that support the UNO Bridge to work with Open Office as scripts and new components. The problem is that UNO+Open Office bridge are at a 0.2 version.
So if Sun wants to direct is Open Client energies with high return potential, let me recommend the Open Office API. This could have a big payback in 3 ways: a)help promote Open Office as the cross OS Office Suite of choice, b)help Open Solaris and Linux on the desktop with a better rationalized scripting universe for both; and c)establish Sun as amajor desktop player with UNO and Java/JavaFX as major RIA/RAIA player. In sum, there are some attractive ROIs for wh at does not have to be a huge investment – more the completion, templates and documentation of a reasonably well designed and existing client side initiative.