Realizing that its Enterprise Java Beans needs more work if it is to be used in serious installations, Sun Microsystems Inc is working on a project it is calling Java Platform for the Enterprise. Currently, enterprise Java Beans exists only as a specification from Sun, and now that third party implementations are beginning to emerge, Sun is starting to realize that it might need a reference implementation of compatibility issues are all to be ironed out. It wants to ensure that all the third party versions will work together. So JPE will include a reference implementation, along with compatibility testing tools and programming model guidelines for developers. The project is likely to reach the market – with a different name, Sun hopes – by the middle of next year.
