Microsoft a Problem for Software Rivals
Reuters | at | by Mike
The software industry has two problems as it looks to jump-start Web services -- expected to be the next big thing in business computing -- the economy is weak and Microsoft is strong. Behind the scenes, Sun Microsystems Inc. SUNW.O -- with its Web services platform based on the Java programming language -- is battling Microsoft and its .NET architecture for the hearts and minds of big-spending corporate customers.
Merrill Lynch Chief Technology Officer John McKinley said it is difficult not to use .NET, due to Microsoft's dominance on corporate desktops and e-mail systems. And McKinley sees Microsoft building grass-roots support for .NET. Not only does Microsoft provide a good set of software development tools, he said, company Chairman Bill Gates and Chief Executive Steve Ballmer carve out more time for developer conferences than do the top executives at Java proponents Sun Microsystems and Oracle.