Although Sun Microsystems Inc is backing its Java Cup with up to $1m kit and software as prizes, it’s hoping the applet development ‘competition’ will recoup it much more in the long run. Entry categories include tools designed to provide interfaces to other applications, Internet or Web agents; education applets; visual and developer tools, entertainment and games. Sun will use the Cup to get a slew of Java applets out – the entries will be offered as freeware – and Sun will get source. Sun will judge the applets on graphics, coding style, security, interactivity and innovation. The contest ends on March 31 and winners will be announced in May. Three winners per category will be chosen – two individual and one team prize – plus one overall winner. The grand prize winner will get a credit of $200,000 for Sun Ultra and Sparcsystems and peripherals. Other corporate sponsors include Netscape Communications Corp, Oracle Corp and SunSoft Inc. Sun has also been examining some of the business models that it thinks could be employed to make money on the Internet with Java. It has hopes for three, each of which follow prevailing entertainment delivery mechanisms; subscription (for upgrade and other delivery via Java), the pay-per-view model and straight television metaphor where advertising is boot-strapped on to the front of Java applets.
