Gaining certification could help ObjectWeb attract more corporate users. J2EE certification assures interoperability between Java products from different vendors. "J2EE certification is an essential guarantee for many enterprises and ISVs (independent software vendors), so much so that in many cases organizations pay for and roll out J2EE-based application servers when they could just as easily use Apache Tomcat. From that perspective this is a major step forward for JOnAS," said James Governor, principal analyst at RedMonk.

ObjectWeb's consortium-based structure may play a role in what kinds of sectors may start using its infrastructure services. Specifically, ObjectWeb brings together companies and academia to back up the development of open source software with dedicated resources. The consortium fosters the development of a business ecosystem to promote fair competition between independent vendors who provide the services.

If a large enough user base is created, the platform will become much more durable. Compliance to the J2EE specifications is now expected to accelerate JOnAS' adoption by mainstream enterprises and governmental agencies.

"The entry of JOnAS as a J2EE 1.4 compliant application server contributes significantly to the ongoing commodization of the J2EE industry, because it offers another top-notch implementation competitive, in terms of J2EE compliance and functionality, with existing commercial vendors," said Richard Monson-Haefel, an analyst with Burton Group.

ObjectWeb remains unphased in its dedication to the noncommercial use of software. "We have proved that a community-based effort can be as good in quality as any industry effort. It was important for us to show that ObjectWeb can play the game very professionally," reaffirmed Jean-Pierre Laisne, ObjectWeb's chairman.