Inprise offers to cure Microsoft's Java deficiency

They must be splitting their sides over this in Redmond...

Inprise, the company formerly known as Borland, has made a tragic and blatant bid for free publicity by offering to licence its Jbuilder "100 per cent pure Java" development tools to Microsoft, now the latter's look like they might be toast. Speaking from what sounds like a sake-soaked Inprise conference in Tokyo yesterday, Inprise chairman and CEO Del Yocam said: "Inprise is ready to help Microsoft, Sun and customers of both companies obtain the benefit of 100% Pure Java cross-platform technology by licensing our JBuilder technology to Microsoft… We recognise that many customers could be adversely impacted by the injunction against Microsoft and therefore we want to offer a solution that will enable Microsoft to quickly comply with the ruling from the US District Court." Just the other day of course Microsoft was whacked with an injunction forcing it to stop shipping its version and start shipping 100 per cent pure within 90 days. Microsoft's options include attempting to overturn the injunction, which it will do, and implementing an alternative solution. The company will certainly be looking at this right now, but as it has a viable Java-aware partner in the shape of HP, Del's phone may not be ringing in the immediate future. ®