Sun Microsystems Inc’s Microelectronics division and its new prized possession Diba Inc announced Tuesday the availability to OEMs of reference designs for Java-ready thin clients and appliances. The Sun-Diba vision is that everything from servers to set top boxes to smart phones and smart cards will be based on its core open technologies and will connect to any network or server through any pipe. Sun describes Diba as the concept company whose design skills and relationships with consumer appliance companies make it possible to provide various OEMs with the blueprints they need to create a wide range of such networked devices. Tuesday’s briefing was arranged to let the public know that some OEMs have already lined up to become part of the anticipated Sun/Diba-led information appliance boom. Consumer electronics firms The Vestel Group and Teco have agreed to build Diba-enabled set-top boxes in Europe and Asia, respectively. LodgeNet Entertainment Corp says it is using Diba-enabled systems to expand its in-room system that provides web browsing, movies and games to hotel guests. And a company called Healthway Interactive Inc plans to use Diba technology to deliver real-time medical information to patients via the internet. It was also announced that 140 content providers, including newcomers CBS Sportsline and USA Today On-line, have joined the Diba Content Program, which provides companies with HTML development guidelines that will allow for the display of their websites on Diba appliances. Sun chief Scott McNealy took the opportunity to stress the fact that appliances based on his blueprints will be guided by the concept of simple usability. He said that although people use computers all day long the only one that gives you trouble is your Microsoft one, Java computing should just happen.
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