Sun Microsystems, along with companies such as IBM, Oracle, and Netscape, are strongly promoting the application of Java. The development of Java chips, which aim to increase the execution speed of Java, is underway at a rapid pace. Some people predict that in the near future, the execution speed of Java code will be as fast as C++. After Java's role in WWW applications has been affirmed, Sun Microsystems is expanding Java's application in home appliances. There is a trend for Java to extend into even broader fields.