What is Java technology?

Java technology is both an object-oriented programming language and a platform developed by Sun Microsystems. Java technology is based on the concept of a single Java virtual machine (JVM) -- a translator between the language and the underlying software and hardware. All implementations of the programming language must emulate the JVM, thus enabling Java programs to run on any system that has a version of the JVM.

Why is Java technology important?

In a general sense, the main benefits of the Java language are its portability across platforms and operating systems and its ability to be delivered over relatively low-bandwidth channels, such as dial-up communications. The language is also impressively scalable; existing applications can easily be adapted for devices with limited-memory resources. Additionally, because it was designed to run in a secure manner over networks, it affords this level of security when operating over the Internet, as well. In essence, Java technology extends a users computing power from the desktop to the resources of the Web.

How does Java technology relate to SOA/Web services?

A service-oriented architecture is a component model that relates the functional units of an application (known as services, hence Web services) through well-defined interfaces and contracts between the services. The interface is defined in a neutral manner independent of the hardware, operating system, and programming language in which the service is implemented, allowing services constructed on different systems to interact with each other in a uniform, universal manner. SOAs are a loosely-coupled alternative model to the more traditional, tightly-coupled, object-oriented models.

The resulting Web services allow business rules and processes to be defined in XML so software applications can communicate in a platform-independent and programming language-independent manner. XML technology makes data portable and facilitates the creation of messages, while Java technology makes code portable. The fact that XML and the Java language work well together makes them an ideal combination to build and deploy Web services.