Java is more than just a toy for net surfers and computer geeks, or just another programming language. Robin Bloor (author of The Enterprise by Other Means), claims that Java, brainchild of Sun Microsystems, is at the epicentre of an earthquake which will rearrange the IT industry. Java, Bloor argues, has two major qualities which fill a desperate need in the computer industry. First, unlike the current generation of office tools, Java applets are small and fast. Second, Java is portable. Instead of sitting directly on the operating system, Java lives in a browser; it is in a development layer all of its own. This has become known as the Java virtual machine (JVM) and is the key to Java's platform independence because it separates the development environment from the operating system. Bloor's vision of the future is shared by major software manufacturers who are now positioning themselves in readiness for great industry change. Corel, for instance, is developing new Java versions of WordPerfect, Quattro Pro and CorelCHART. These are currently in beta form and are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 1997. Oracle has also announced plans for a set of Java-based office applets (codenamed Hatrick) including a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation graphics tool. The move towards Java has been driven by an increasing dissatisfaction with bulky office software. As PC hardware has become more powerful, so software has become more demanding and systems become crippled. Microsoft Office 95 requires an amazing 89Mb of hard disk space and at least 12Mb of RAM to run smoothly. The core idea behind the new Java suite is to replicate the functionality of MS Office in a tiny fraction of the code, so that each component runs considerably faster. Instead of buying a massive monolithic word processing application and using 20 percent of its capabilities, users will be able to buy only the parts they require and end up with an efficient and manageable package that more closely matches their needs. The resources required to support the Java applet also encourage a different hardware model. Unlike today's office suites which are centred around a "fat" client, the Java suite is network-centric. Application components reside on the server and are downloaded as required. Consequently, the Network Computers (NCs) running Java are much simpler than the average Windows machine and require far less power. Oracle, Sun, IBM, and Corel have already announced NCs and Microsoft, in conjunction with Intel, has recently announced the Net PC. The hardware varies but the basic idea is the same. In a business environment, the PC should be replaced by a cheaper device that depends more on downloading software for its operation. The new computing paradigm, as Bloor explains, marks a return to the centralised model of mainframe days. This network-centric approach to computing greatly simplifies software maintenance. If your Java suite needs upgrading, you simply update the software on the server. No more trekking around from machine to machine holding a huge pile of diskettes. The major question mark is over Microsoft, for whom the change to thin-client computing poses fundamental problems. The browser is the only operating system Java needs, so Windows will no longer be able to "lock" users into buying Microsoft applications. As Bloor commented: "We never bought OS's for their features. We don't buy OS's, we buy applications." Microsoft shows no signs of re-writing its applications in Java. Applications marketing manager Jeremy Gittings recently commented: "I can't tell you what we're going to do with Office in the future. We may be distributing it in a different way." As a software architecture, the applet idea makes sense. A so-called "productivity" application is one which allows you to carry out your day-to-day tasks effectively rather than forcing you to load up 3,000 functions every time you want to type a letter. The idea of building software from selected components has been around for a long time and has been exploited successfully in some parts of the industry. But Java has arrived at a time when it is likely to be adopted on a mass scale. The repercussions remain to be seen. In Bloor's own words: "The return to centralised computing is a major earthquake and ... it will rearrange the landscape. Some buildings will be left standing. Others will not. Its tremors will be felt across the world, by IT vendors, by all types of organisations and even by national economies."