"The hype is way ahead of the market," International Data Corp. analyst Kevin Hause said. "Sun is definitely moving in the right direction with it, but it's going to be a long process."

The way Jini has been handled is a classic example of the product-marketing cycles that drive much of today's high-tech industry. To satisfy the relentless demands of competition and Wall Street, companies often hype their products far before a market for them has been created--and sometimes with little knowledge about how their technology will ultimately be used, if at all.

Some analysts defend the early marketing blitzes, pointing to the need to create a buzz that will inspire other companies to make plans to adopt these technologies. Sun, in particular, has an incentive to maintain industry confidence and momentum because its old nemesis Microsoft and others are pushing aggressively ahead with competing software.

The risks are high. Jini has put Sun's reputation on the line as the company strives to become as pervasive on the Internet as Microsoft has been with the personal computer. And the initiative will test what lessons Sun has learned in its epic battles with the Redmond empire, from laboratory to courtroom.

The company's grand plan is to ride Jini and its companion Java software from Sun's bastion in corporate servers to the wide-open territory of networked electronics. Now, it must deliver.

The promise: A wired household
If consumers adopt the idea of networked devices in the home, Jini could give Sun the edge in selling servers used to connect everything from ovens to CD players.

The reality: Bumps in the road map
While technologically sound, Jini is at the stage comparable to having fax machines but no phone lines, analysts say.

The future: What Sun must do to rise
Once again, Sun has seen the future--and once again, Microsoft is waiting for it on the horizon.