What you need to know about J2EE and .NET
J2EE and .NET both have their strong points, and deciding between them may be difficultâ€"and unnecessary. Here are a few things to remember when planning your next application:
It's not just about Web services . . .
Many people assume J2EE and .NET have to involve Web services. But both platforms can be used to build applications that have nothing to do with Web services. Don't be intimidated assuming that you have to go from zero to Web giant overnight.
. . . but they can be a big help
That's not to say you should ignore Web services completely. Where appropriate, Web services are an invaluable way of integrating isolated business processes. Use them where you like, and your life may become easier.
J2EE and .NET are not mutually exclusive
The media loves to portray the choice between J2EE and .NET as some sort of massive battle, but the truth is that you can use both and move data between them with relative ease. Smaller companies may find it easier for practical reasons to standardise on one or the other, but if you've got enough developers feel free to choose the right platform for each application.
You can still choose your OS
It's easy to assume you .NET is only for Windows environments and J2EE only for Unix, but cross-pollination between the two means you may well be able to stick with the operating system you have while adopting either standard.
Think about the future
You may think your applications are fine as they are, but this stuff isn't going away. Even if you're not actively coding J2EE or .NET, plan for it: you'll need it down the road.
XML is the path to your legacy
J2EE and .NET are quite accepting of older platforms, since XML is providing an easy way to integrate them into your modern infrastructure. Here is yet another way to extend your past investment.
People are your destiny
None of this means anything without the right people to make it happen. Strong support for Java within academia has flooded the market with Java talent, and Microsoft is working hard to catch up with .NET skills. Make sure you're training your current developers, or watching the market to pick up people with the experience you're going to need.
Involve the business leaders
Each new generation of development moves businesses from one layer of abstraction to another. The modular design of J2EE and .NET means that it's relatively easy to model individual business processes in software, and let the frameworks take care of the nitty-gritty. Make sure your business line managers are working with developers so everything comes together properly.
Microsoft has changed
Yes, really. It has to. Since the world is clearly coalescing around some quite fundamental standards that have nothing to do with Microsoft, the company can no longer bend the market to its will. Microsoft may not readily admit it, but its desire to make .NET ubiquitous will force it to embrace the non-Windows world like never before. Live it up.
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Shouldn't you change 'Microsoft has changed' to 'Microsoft has to change'? A small but great difference, imho...