Developer.com, the leading online developer community which pioneered online developer services with Gamelan- The Official Directory for Java, today announces the acquisition of JARS,(the Java Applet Rating Service). JARS is a service that guides developers to the Web's best Java applets and applications through expert reviews. The combined content of these leading websites solidify Developer.com's position as the number one Java resource for Net developers.

The acquisition of JARS.com will double the available ad inventory for Developer.com to 4 million monthly page views. Advertisers will now be able to easily target the web development community in one integrated environment. JARS's rating service, reviews and expert judging panel will be introduced into the Developer.com community, with full integration phased in over the next eight months.

Developer.com is built around a network of technology-specific directories, each containing extensive repositories of user contributed resources, product descriptions and reviews, news coverage, tutorials, community discussion and chat areas. Editorial content is a combination of late-breaking news stories, live trade show coverage, weekly features and contributions from third-party partners. JARS, the most trusted source of Java applet reviews on the Internet today, reviews Java applets and applications using an independent group of skilled judges. The service provides developers with unique and real world descriptions and ratings of innovative technologies that the Web offers and maintains a database of program submissions that functions as a guide to the best Java programs on the Web.

"The integration of JARS into the Developer.com community offers Java developers and integrators an extremely comprehensive one stop shop for news, reviews, directories, information and products," said George Paolini, director of corporate marketing for Sun Microsystems' JavaSoft division.

"JARS has been very successful in building a service that is essential to the Java developer community," said Jack Hidary, President and CEO, EarthWeb. "The decision to acquire JARS is a definitive validation of our strategy to provide developers, the most active purchasers and innovators on the Internet today, with a central source that addresses all their needs."

"By joining Developer.com, JARS will be able to expand both the scope and depth of its reviews while maintaining the expertise and objectivity developers have come to respect," said Rocky Fikki, Founder, JARS.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in New York City, EarthWeb, Inc.'s mission is to revolutionize the way developers and corporations use the Net.

EarthWeb's business is comprised of Developer Products and Services containing extensive repositories of user-contributed resources, product descriptions and reviews, news coverage and tutorials, and emerging and innovative technologies for the developer community. EarthWeb's software products enable online communities, and offer social and technical solutions.

EarthWeb is a privately held corporation and is funded by Warburg Pincus Ventures, L.P.

Source: EarthWeb, Inc.