Let the Sun Shine

I'm starting to feel like Alice in Wonderland more and more. I can't be the only one to find stuff like this weird. The whole "dogs sleeping with cats" thing has to be right around the corner. Here are the contents of a recent email received from Sun's Analyst Relations department.

"Last September we announced that Sun was becoming a Windows Server OEM, after years of Sun-Microsoft collaboration on interoperability in key areas. Today we're announcing two key milestones in this ongoing alliance:

The official opening of the Sun/Microsoft Interoperability Center on Microsoft's Redmond campus, and

The availability of the Sun Infrastructure Solution for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, which is designed to help enterprise customers better manage explosive email growth and fully realize the benefits of Exchange Server 2007.

The Sun/Microsoft Interoperability Center serves as a working lab for tuning, benchmarking and interoperability solutions creation. It will be designed to include:

A demonstration and testing area for Windows on Sun x64 systems and storage;

A lab space for customer proofs-of-concept focused on Windows Server 2008 on Sun x64 systems and storage;

The ability to certify Java Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE) and Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE), including Sun's Java Runtime Environment (JRE(TM)) software for and with Microsoft operating environments and applications;

Joint work to help enable cross-platform server virtualization, including Windows Hyper-V and Sun(TM) xVM software;

Cross-company collaboration to allow Sun Ray(TM) thin client software to provide a first-rate virtual desktop for the Windows environment and support Windows technologies.

We've included the complete press release below for your reading convenience. We've also posted a blog entry exploring the benefits of these new developments on the Sun AR blog at www.sun.com/ar."

 

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I witnessed Scott McNealy "doing my PowerPoint presentation" – which meant he used a grease pen on a transparency display. The mockery was DNA deep. This would have him turning over in his grave, if he were dead. I'm waiting for the Sun announcement declaring their intent to tell all customers to buy AIX systems from now on……

Comments

[Nik Simpson]

Once they started selling x86 servers, this was inevitable. Not selling Windows on x86 servers is a surefire way to go down in flames. Not only do you lose all the potential Windows sales, you lose a lot of Solaris x86 sales as well, because customers turn to a vendor that can supply both. Have to agree about the apocalyptic overtones though :-)

[Taylor Allis]

Enter Johnathan Swartz - there's been a mini revolution inside Sun. In the past, Sun built Solaris and microprocessors for Sun servers...and Sun servers for Solaris and microprocessors. Lines of business within Sun were limited in their market reach.

This has changed (enter deals w/ Microsoft, Intel, AMD, Dell, IBM, etc.)

Each line of business within Sun has been empowered to grow their business. The software group can grow Solaris business on Sun, IBM or Dell platforms. The systems group (servers and storage) can grow their business though partnerships with Intel, AMD and Microsoft. Storage can serve the open systems and...mainframe markets (see sun.com/thinkstorage)

While this is happening, Sun is developing integrated systems based on Sun IP (storage servers, etc.)

A two-pronged approach courtesy of Mr. Swartz...

------Two comments to your comment: 1. Touche regarding the opening of the business - that is clearly true and death would be inevitable - and ironic - since it would occur the same way Sun killed the Minicomputer guys - because they felt they had to make everything. 2. Sun doens't make storage that plugs into a mainframe, HDS does and Sun resells it - but I'd be astounded to find a mainframe customer who bought an HDS array for their blue machine from Sun.

Who's Swartz? Fred Swartz? Marty Swartz? I'd like to meet that guy.........Steve

[Taylor Allis]

Ha! sCHwartz - not a good habit, misspelling your president's name :-(

Thanks for the correction, but I also have a correction. Sun DOES make storage that plugs into the mainframe. Disk, Tape and Software to be exact. Case in point:
- Sun StorageTek Virtual Storage Manager (VSM)
- Sun StorageTek Shared Virtual Array (SVA)
- Sun StorageTek SL8500 Library
- Sun StorageTek Mainframe Software Suite

And you will find multiple mainframe customers who bought the above products for their blue machines - as Sun is a leader in market share revenue in the high-end mainframe tape and mainframe virtual tape markets...

----Mea Culpa. I still don't automatically think "storage" when talking tape. -----Steve