BEA Making Moves To Build Buzz; Hopes "Beehive' Stings; Lagging main rival IBM, firm goes open source with key software tools.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN

No one should have been shocked when BEA Systems CEO Alfred Chuang kicked off his firm's annual eWorld conference in San Francisco last week with a stunt. He bounded onto the stage for his opening speech through a plate of glass that exploded on cue, albeit appropriately set up to avoid injury.

A professional race car driver before steering into the tech business, he still motors around area racetracks from time to time. He won't say how fast he goes -- hinting that he'd hear from his board of directors if they found out.

Buckle up, investors, because Chuang is embarking on something even more audacious -- giving away the company's crown jewels.

In an effort dubbed "Beehive," the San Jose, Calif., firm is freeing up parts of its WebLogic Workshop for anyone who wants it. Workshop is its software used to develop applications. By "open-sourcing" it, developers will be able to see and tinker with Workshop's inner workings, to help it work with rival software.

"No guts, no glory," Chuang said when asked about the move. "This is something customers want."

One danger is that BEA will be giving away a product some might instead purchase. Another danger is that developers will use it for applications that run on rival middleware platforms.