(Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition) Java-based software infrastructure. A standardized set of infrastructure software components written in the 'run-anywhere' Java programming language. Although owned by Sun, J2EE has been defined in collaboration with other leading vendors including IBM, Oracle and BEA. Today, it forms the basis of many of the leading web systems software platforms, including IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic, Sun ONE and the open-source JBoss. J2EE version 1.4, in beta until late summer 2003, incorporates full support for web services standards and introduces a J2EE version of the Java Connector Architecture (JCA), which simplifies connections and messaging from external resources.