Sun Sketches Plans For Java-Based Home Nets

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April 20, 2000 (3:40 PM EDT)

By Rick Merrit ,

Sun Microsystems, will conduct field trials this summer of prototype products intended to drive its vision of home networking based on its Java software.

The company sketched out its plans for mainstream Java home networks at the Communications Technology Update 2000 conference, on Wednesday.

Vince Vasquez, a group business development manager at Sun (stock: SUNW), discussed plans for a variety of networked consumer electronics products using a host of network types supported by a range of OEMs and service providers -- all linked by common Java-based middleware.

"This is happening now," said Vasquez, who manages what Sun calls its "dot-com home" initiative. "The technical trials are this summer, and the products will roll out in time for this Christmas or the first quarter of 2001."

For example, Vasquez said, Sunbeam is developing networked alarm clocks, coffee makers, and electric blankets; Whirlpool is preparing refrigerator-based Web Pads; and telecom service provider GTE is rolling out packages of Java-based phone services.

Sun's initiative comes at the same time as Microsoft (stock: MSFT) attempt to expand the use of Windows operating system variants in embedded systems like home networked devices. Microsoft is expected to release more detailed plans at its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in New Orleans next week, and in subsequent briefings on a new class of Windows services it has yet to define.

For more see EE Times