If I had a reasonably easy way to convert the existing application to something non-M$, I'd be ecstatic (and, sitting quite pretty as the proven only voice of reason in the company).


J2EE is where I personally am pushing, but let "the voice of experience" tell you to get buy-in BEFORE you preach. You need to convince the higher-ups that your new idea is wonderful, yes, but before that you need to sell the *concept* that there might be an alternative. IOW, you will never see all the dross magically fall away revealing you as you always were: reasonable, intelligent, visionary. You need to out-sell the opposition just to have the privilege of an audience, THEN you can sell the change.

I know of JSP and Apache, but I'm not sure on their capabilities or supported platforms. Of course, a perfect answer would be Program XYZ automatically converts ASP to fully functional JSP, allowing the application to run on Web Server PQR which runs on OS's A, B, C and D.


Don't forget (with Java, anyway) to say Programs X, Y and Z and Web Servers P, Q and R. Get it in terms an MBA can understand: Interchangeability is a key point, not in object-oriented programming, but in change management. etc.

Other J2EE points:


  1. Works with all major databases.

  2. Works with all major web servers.

  3. Works with all major operating systems.

  4. XML and Java were "made for each other"; Sun's Jon Bosak is chair of XML Working Group.

  5. UML and Java were "made for each other".

  6. CORBA and Java were "made for each other".

  7. ~80% of all colleges teach Java; half of those require it.

  8. ASP is nowhere close to Java's OO, and ASP.NET will be years behind.

  9. Error handling is required.

  10. Specs, dev tools, and many deployment tools are free.

  11. Most common components already built and free.

  12. Built-in web server features (servlets).

  13. Built-in security features.

  14. Memory is handled for you (garbage collection).

  15. Attracts smarter developers :)

  16. Documentation is auto-built using Javadoc.

  17. Big-name users:
    Wal-Mart (Fortune #2)
    Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
    United Airlines
    Knight-Ridder News
    TIAA-CREF
    Citibank
    Nextel
    Verizon (Fortune #10)
    United Parcel Service
    NEC
    Wells Fargo
    Nortel Networks
    NTT DoCoMo
    NASA, incl. Mars missions and Hubble
    Boeing (Fortune #15)
    Delta Air Lines
    Home Depot
    Xerox
    United States Postal Service



That should get you started. :)