Sun has announced that it will be offering approximately $1 million per year in awards to participants of any of several contests. Community involvement in any of the following six open-source initiatives is required:
- GlassFish, Sun's open-source Java EE 5-compilant application server.
- NetBeans, Sun's open-source IDE.
- OpenJDK, the GPL-licensed open-source version of Java SE
- OpenOffice.org, Sun's open-source office productivity suite.
- OpenSolaris, the open-source version of the popular server OS, Sun Solaris.
- OpenSPARC, an open-source community that works on chip design in the open for all to contribute.
Beginning in mid-January 2008, Sun and these open-source communities will announce details on how developers can participate in the individual programs. Each community will have its own contest rules and judging criteria. Prize winners will be announced in August 2008.
"Developer communities are at the heart of tech industry innovation and are Sun's lifeblood," said Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and President of Sun Microsystems. "Every software product at Sun -- literally billions of dollars in assets -- is going free and open source, and fueling the communities and innovation around these technologies is our top priority. I can't wait to see the creativity, passion, and vibrancy of the program's participants."
To follow contest updates and major developments, go here.
