JSF isn't the first web user interface component framework on the market. The granddaddy is Apple's WebObjects, and Microsoft has brought the concept to the mainstream with Visual Studio.NET and ASP.NET Web Forms. In the Java world, many different frameworks have emerged over the last few years, many of them open source. Some have tool support, and some don't.

Like most standards, the goal of JSF is to take the best of what's currently out there and create something that works well for most cases. Hopefully JSF will allow vendors to concentrate on component suites and value-added features, and also simplify lives for architects, developers, and other stakeholders who would rather spend more time building applications than choosing a framework.