Java, mtvU target expanding college marketplace

Black Issues in Higher Education, Nov 4, 2004 by Ronald Roach

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.

Sun Microsystems, the creator and leading advocate of the Java software products has entered a marketing sponsorship with mtvU to bring music and fun to college students with Java-powered products. Sun is joining the 2004 mtvU Road Trip Tour and campus VJ search to connect college students to Java-powered products and the ultimate Java marketplace.

The mtvU Road Trip Tour is a 10-campus tour that includes both online and broadcast advertising placements to reach college students across the country and showcase Java technology in action. Java-powered products and services for both Sun and its partners include mobile and desktop Java-powered applications such as Java games, office tools and productivity applications, according to Sun officials.

Visitors to <www.java.com> can download the latest, free Java technology for their personal computers. In addition to software tools, students can also download the latest songs by their favorite artists such as Green Day and Snoop Dogg, onto their Java-powered mobile phones as personalized ring tones.

"Today's youth are interacting with Java-powered products everyday," says Ingrid Van Den Hoogen, vice president of brand experience and community marketing, Sun Microsystems. "mtvU reaches over six million college students across the United States, (and) working with them allows us to excite and educate a new generation about the many different ways that Java technology is impacting their lives today and into the future."