Track:   Evolving Java

Abstract: From its initial vision for mobile code and interactive web pages, the Java platform has come a long way in twelve years! Java now runs on platforms ranging from enterprise-grade servers to mobile phones and smart cards. If you poll developers, every one of them has an idea to make the Java language "better" or to extend the range of environments in which Java can be deployed. This drive for change is balanced by a large number of customers who like Java just fine as it is. How do you evolve a widely-used, mature language and platform? Come hear experts from the Java community discuss how the Java language and VM are evolving to meet the community's ever-changing needs.