Apache Software Foundation to quit Java Executive Comittee

Recognizing the valuable contributions made by the Apache Software Foundation, Oracle has appealed to the ASF to reconsider its earlier decision to quit the Java Executive Committee.

ASF had resigned from the Executive Committee as Oracle was exercising too much control over Java, emphasizing only on the commercial aspects of the enterprise and relegating development functions to the backburner. This was interfering with the transparent functioning of the Java platform. Oracle also placed severe restrictions in the use of Java Technology kit being used for testing the conformity of their Apache Harmony open source Java Runtime Development against a Java Standard. This was preventing its entry into mobile platforms.

Oracle management has approached ASF to reconsider its decision to withdraw and assured them full support to their development efforts, terming them to be invaluable assets to the Company, and asking them to return to their folds. They confirmed that Oracle had a responsibility to take Java forward and also uniformly maintain the standards that Java stood for, considering the millions of followers and developers that the platform had built up over a period of time. ASF and other open sources were all very important aspects of the Java environment. More than 100 open source projects are tied with Java, like the tomcat and the Geronimo application servers.

However it appears that ASF are in no mood to comply and are contemplating to stick to their decision to leave the Executive Committee. They are sure that from the debris, a new outfit, where ‘one and all were always equal’ would emerge.