Oracle Forms and Microsoft Internet Explorer- Statement of Direction.

Jun 1st 2004

Introduction

The purpose of this document is define Oracle's strategy for deploying Oracle Forms applications accessed via Microsoft Internet Explorer. This statement is in response to various changes and directives from Microsoft.

Microsoft no longer delivering JVM

Settlement

As the result of a settlement agreement reached in January 2001 that resolved a legal dispute with Sun Microsystems, it was arranged for a phaseout of the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM), which Microsoft is currently undertaking.

Current plans are that Microsoft will continue to support the MSJVM until the published de-support date. For full details of Microsoft's position. Please go to the Microsoft Java Page.

Impact to Forms Applications.

Oracle Forms Web deployed applications use a JVM within the browser to render the client interface. Currently, Oracle supports deploying Forms applications on the Web using a number of browsers (IE, Netscape) and JVMs (MSJVM, Jinitiator, Sun).

Desupport of MSJVM

Oracle will continue to support deploying Forms application using the MSJVM, on targetted versions of Oracle software, while it is still supported by Microsoft. After that date, Forms users should ensure they are running on a certified platform combination. See the Client Platform Statement of direction for 6i and 9i for more information. Customers should take this into consideration when planning their clients for Web deployed Forms.

Microsoft - Patent Infringement of <OBJECT> tag

Outline

Microsoft was recently ruled to be in violation of US Patent 5,838,906. This patent is licensed through Eolas Technologies and owned by the University of California. This patent covers the way embedded applications are launched in HTML documents. Specifically, in Microsoft's case, the use of the <OBJECT> tag in Internet Explorer was found to be an infringement of the patent.

However, the latest information from Microsoft intimates that currently "developers do not need to take any action". Please reference the statement from Microsoft for full details.