Telstra's decision to standardise on Sun Microsystems-backed J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) technology for its future application development surprised Australia's IT community. For Telstra, Microsoft's largest private-sector Australian customer, to pick J2EE over Microsoft's own .NET architecture sent shock waves all the way to Redmond. Microsoft president Steve Ballmer wasted no time coming to Melbourne, and his smiling embrace upon emerging from discussions with Telstra suggested that the relationship was back on track. That such a seemingly small announcement could cause such a large stink reveals just how serious the stakes have become in the brewing battle for control of the enterprise.
|