HIE Library Archive 2000  

Imagine devices that announce themselves to the network when plugged in then go on to self-configure, self-diagnose and self-install.

Imagine these devices able to do all that by simply connecting! No drivers to find, no operating system issues. no cables or connectors.

This is the promise of 'Jini technology' from Sun Microsystems, the home of Java. The concept is very simple: devices should work together. They should simply connect.

It is what Sun describe as 'instant on': "when you plug a Jini technology-enabled device into the network, it works. Right away. No fuss. Its services and resources are immediately available."

According to Sun Microsystems, Jini opens a whole new world on self-managing devices that enable instant communities of connectivity aware applications and resources.

Sun says: "Devices permeate our lives. Look around: TVs, VCRs, DVDs, cameras, phones, PDAs, radios, furnaces, disk drives, printers, air conditioners, CD players, pagers, and the list goes on. A device performs a simple task, and only that task: Today devices are unaware of their surroundings--they are rigid and cannot adapt. When you buy a disk drive, you expend a lot of effort to install it or you need an expert to do it for you.
Now, devices of even the smallest size and most modest capabilities can affordably contain processors powerful enough for them to self-organise into communities that provide the benefits of multi-way interactions. A device can be flexible and negotiate the details of its interaction. We no longer need a computer to act as an intermediary between a cell phone and a printer. These devices can take care of themselves--they are flexible, they adapt."

For more information, see the Jini website

Write and tell me how you think 'Jini' might be used in health informatics.

Ahmad Risk
2 March 1999