In regards to innovation what mechanisms that Sun used to mobilize and maintain

Question

In regards to innovation what mechanisms that Sun used to mobilize and maintain a coalition in support of Java?

"Sun released Java amid much fanfare on June 23, 1995 and immediately began a concerted campaign to make Java adopted widely. Sun allowed third-party developers to download Java for free from its website. It emphasized the write-once, run-anywhere capability of Java, which would free programmers from having to rewrite applications for each major platform at considerable effort and cost. Sun also made it easier for software developers to learn and use Java by jump-starting initiatives such as the creation of Java development tools, the development of courses to teach Java programming and partnerships with vendors to increase Java’s functionality. Sun proselytized Java by advertising in popular news media and key trade publications. In doing so, Sun primed user expectations by offering a vision of what Java would eventually become – a complete networking platform – instead of its then-limited functionality as an emerging programming language. Such pre-announcements – appropriately termed “vaporware” in the computer industry – nevertheless resulted in anticipatory retardation among potential partners and vendors, as they waited for the technology and delayed their own efforts to create comparable technologies. Indeed, George Paolini, JavaSoft’s Director of Corporate Marketing, acknowledged Sun’s strategic marketing of Java: “In today's world, it's really about first creating mindshare and awareness about a technology, and then driving that technology to reality. That's really what Java has been about.” 3 At the same time, Sun positioned Java as an "open" alternative that would break Microsoft’s hegemony over the desktop computer market. Indeed, Sun’s CEO, Mr. Scott McNealy framed this mobilization of the “Java force” against Microsoft in the context of the Star Wars metaphor of good fighting evil:

A typical Java licensing contract for use in commercial products sought an upfront fee and royalties on unit sales of Java-based products. However, licensees had the freedom to modify the technology as long as they shared these modifications with Sun and the other licensees

Explanation / Answer

Answer to the question:

Sun used to allow third party users to download Java for free from its website and allowed them to develop the program at their will and requirement at considerable effort and cost. Sun also provided the developers with the development tools that allowed them to learn the Java programming and also made partnerships with different vendors to increase the Java functionality. Sun also advertised Java as a complete networking platform, thereby attempting to convert the common belief of limited functionality of Java and such advertisements led to delays in development of comparable technologies, ultimately benefitting Sun and providing a good competition to Micorsoft's "Open" software.

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