SAP spurns Microsoft .NET for Java

NEWS Sun Microsystems is set to score a major victory in the battle for the hearts and minds of software developers when SAP confirms its decision to go with a Java-based platform ahead of Microsoft's .NET. SAP - the German software group which has one of the largest pools of developers in Europe - is expected to commit its future to Sun next week having previously tried to develop a single in-house platform which would be compatible with the rival software environments. The FT has learnt that Sun executives have tired of Microsoft's resistance to that idea and will now go all out in support of J2EE. J2EE is a key component of Sun's Open Network Environment (ONE), a suite of web services which directly rivals Microsoft's own .NET strategy. Microsoft could face further humiliation given SAP's 20 per cent stake in Commerce One. Commerce One has been developing software using both Java and .NET. It may now choose to follow its parent in opting for a single environment.