Following disclosure of its plan to turn ActiveX, COM and DCOM object technologies over to an industry standards body, we understand that Microsoft Corp has also contacted the Object Management Group with a view to resuscitating OMG’s stalled DCOM-to-Corba initiative, the Corba 2.0 Part B request for proposal. That effort, to develop interoperability between objects […]
Following disclosure of its plan to turn ActiveX, COM and DCOM object technologies over to an industry standards body, we understand that Microsoft Corp has also contacted the Object Management Group with a view to resuscitating OMG’s stalled DCOM-to-Corba initiative, the Corba 2.0 Part B request for proposal. That effort, to develop interoperability between objects using Microsoft’s forthcoming Network OLE and OMG’s Common Object Request Broker Architecture, went into a holding pattern at the beginning of this year lacking a fully-functional Network OLE specification from Microsoft. OMG hopes to revive the RFP at its Hyannis, Massachusetts meeting in September. We guess the newly ‘open’ Microsoft will at least tolerate co-existence with the Corba world although it’s clear Redmond still won’t touch OMG with a barge pole as far as its object crown jewels are concerned. Last week it told us it wants ActiveX and the other technologies to go to an aggressive and dynamic standards body, not one that was ossified. (No prizes for guessing who it means). If a body like the OMG wanted to try to define ActiveX in terms of Corba then that would be an unacceptable solution, it says. No Corba or OpenDoc proponents we spoke to, including OMG, Component Integration Labs, Apple Computer Inc or IBM Corp have been invited to Microsoft’s August meeting in New York at which the fate of its object architecture will supposedly be decided (CI No 2,964). OMG president Chris Stone believes the internet will drive the two object worlds into coalescence.
