Last week, in a brilliant marketing move, Sun chief operating officer Ed Zander announced that the company would open up its Java source code. Developers can now modify and share programs without prior approval from Sun.

Zander also pledged that Sun will open up the process under which it is developing a series of Java standards. Now, non-licensees will have input into the process.

Sun's moves, as sharp as they were, didn't occur in a vacuum. The company was prodded into action by the formation last month of a "splinter group," led by Hewlett-Packard Co., which is developing its own spec of real-time extensions to Java. HP's move ignited widespread fears that Java would fragment and ultimately suffer the same fate-raging incompatibility-that befell Unix.

Concerned about that outcome, IBM played a key behind-the-scenes roll in prodding Sun to rethink its policy.

There are still a couple of rubs. For one thing, the HP-led effort is not going away. However, Sun is expected to invite some group members into its fold in a bid to effectively gut that project.

If it survives, the HP group possesses enough technical expertise to force a final say-so over any real-time extensions. (Sun itself is forging a range of specs, from real-time to enterprise-class. But the embedded work requires current attention.)

Also significant is the fact that Sun made no mention of where long-term stewardship of all its Java standards will reside. Sun said that Price Waterhouse will "audit" its specs ("And the winner for best supporting Java applet is. . . ."). However, IBM and others would like to see Sun turn its specs-once they are completed-over to an accredited body like the International Standards Organization.

Moreover, the embedded community wants to know whether Sun's revised licensing and royalty terms will be elastic enough to allow third parties to start making some money with Java.

Early word is that up-front fees are out. However, Sun will charge support and maintenance costs for access to the JCK test suite developers need for the Java seal of approval. This policy could be a real improvement or it could be legerdemain.

For now, my embedded-industry sources are cautiously optimistic, but are withholding final judgment until they get the full details directly from Sun.