Paul Krill
Editor at Large

Sun is JAVA? Huh?

news
Aug 23, 20071 min

So if somebody wants to find Sun Microsystems’s stock price, they will have to look under JAVA, based on the company’s changing of its stock ticker ID on Nasdaq next week.

The move from the SUNW identity is being done in recognition that the Java brand is more recognized than Sun, according to company President/CEO Jonathan Schwartz.

Sorry, but I don’t see how this makes sense. Why not just change the name of the company to Java Systems, then, so investors won’t be confused as to why Sun Microsystems is identified as JAVA on the stock exchange?

While Java has been prominent for years and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, it is a technology whose time in the spotlight may one day end. Then what happens?

What if IBM had identified itself as MNFRM, to identify with its mainframes, which, while still sold and popular, are not usually considered cutting-edge technology?

How about if Microsoft had identified itself as DOS?

In both instances, these companies would have had to change back.

The JAVA change just reeks of overbearing marketing and is more likely to cause confusion than clarity.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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