![](http://investorshub.advfn.com/images/default_ih_profile2_4848.jpg?cb=0)
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:56:10 AM
Sun ponders Solaris for Power, Itanium
"We have a very productive dialog currently ongoing with Intel.
Solaris is working on Itanium servers in the lab, Schwartz said.
(Note: SUN must be an Itanium cutomer already - and knows where the market is going in terms of enterprise hardware.)
Sun ponders Solaris for Power, Itanium
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
http://news.com.com/2100-1016-5277375.html
Story last modified July 20, 2004, 7:01 PM PDT
Sun Microsystems, which has already resurrected its Solaris operating system for one processor architecture, is considering a further expansion to Intel's Itanium and IBM's Power chip families.
Sun floated the Solaris expansion idea during a conference call after reporting on Tuesday a return to revenue growth after 12 quarters of declines. The move happens at the same time Sun is embarked on an effort to bring its Java Enterprise System server software to rival operating systems.
"We've begun looking at Solaris on Power as well as Solaris on Itanium as a way of delivering incremental volume," said Jonathan Schwartz, who was appointed chief operating officer in April. Sun believes that distributing as high a volume of its technology as possible will mean the company will be able to recruit software partners more easily and have a bigger foundation for future sales of upgrades, services and software.
The Solaris project marks yet another aggressive expansion plan for a company that's cutting 3,300 jobs and trying to reduce expenses by $500 million in the next year. But Schwartz thinks it can be done.
"We're not worrying about spreading too thin," he said in an interview. The Solaris and Java Enterprise System expansions are projects he initiated, Schwartz said.
For years, Sun focused on just one processor architecture, UltraSparc, and one operating system, Solaris. Sun has been working to resurrect a version of Solaris for x86 chips such as Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron and Intel's Xeon.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based server and software company also worked on Solaris for Itanium, but that project was canceled before it yielded a product, because of squabbling between Sun and Intel.
Intel and IBM could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
HP--which initiated Itanium, helped Intel develop it and is its biggest advocate--saw evidence of Sun's troubles in the move.
The Solaris expansion "demonstrates they know it's a two-horse race for high-end computing between Itanium and Power," said Mark Hudson, vice president of marketing for HP's Enterprise Storage and Servers group. "If they try to focus on both hardware--Sparc--and software they will fail, as they can't afford it," Hudson predicted.
Schwartz said Sun is "very" serious about the effort and argued that it's in the best interests of rivals who wish to spread their chip architectures to support Sun's push.
"It's up to the hardware vendors to worry about volumes, to join us in developing it and the ISV (independent software vendor) population," Schwartz said. "We have a very productive dialog currently ongoing with Intel. IBM has a bit tougher, but we'll get there."
Solaris is working on Itanium servers in the lab, Schwartz said.
Sun also is spreading its Java Enterprise System software to Windows, IBM's AIX version of Unix, and Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX version of Unix. Windows and HP-UX versions are due by the end of the year, Sun has said.
It's easier to embrace rival technology these days, McNealy said, because there's less of it.
"To be heterogeneous now isn't such a complicated thing anymore," McNealy said in an interview. "There's less stuff out there to be heterogeneous with. DEC is gone, HP-UX is going away, PA-RISC is gone," he said, referring to Digital Equipment Corp., HP's version of Unix and HP's in-house processor design.
But Sun considers the non-Solaris versions of Java Enterprise System a stepping-stone. "We've got to provide (customers) bridges and migrations. Ultimately, it makes more sense to be on a Sun Solaris sever than other environments running JES," McNealy said.
Recent AMD News
- Johnson Controls Division Sold for $8 Billion; Alphabet’s Offer Rejected by Wiz; AMD President Announces Retirement • IH Market News • 07/23/2024 10:00:52 AM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/22/2024 08:13:32 PM
- AMD President Victor Peng to Retire • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 07/22/2024 08:10:00 PM
- Nasdaq Tech Stocks Show Partial Recovery; Oil Prices Rise • IH Market News • 07/18/2024 10:01:11 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/17/2024 08:07:35 PM
- AMD to Report Fiscal Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 07/16/2024 08:15:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/16/2024 08:13:20 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/15/2024 08:05:20 PM
- Costco Hikes Membership Fees; ON Semiconductor Stock Drops 3%; WD-40 Soars 13% on Strong Q3 Earnings • IH Market News • 07/11/2024 10:17:26 AM
- AMD to Acquire Silo AI to Expand Enterprise AI Solutions Globally • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 07/10/2024 01:05:00 PM
- U.S. Stock Futures Rise Amid Focus on Fed Chairman Powell’s Speech, Oil Prices Fall • IH Market News • 07/09/2024 10:56:09 AM
- U.S. Stocks Close On Mixed Note; Nasdaq, S&P Hit Record Closing Highs • IH Market News • 07/08/2024 08:48:15 PM
- U.S. Index Futures Modestly Higher Before Key Economic Data Release; Early Closure for July 4th Holiday • IH Market News • 07/03/2024 11:01:33 AM
- Major Averages Close On Firm Note As Stocks Rally After Early Struggle • IH Market News • 07/02/2024 08:44:00 PM
- Honeywell Acquires CAES Systems for $1.9 Billion, Sarepta Therapeutics Surges 34%, Gilead Continues Gains • IH Market News • 06/21/2024 12:00:38 PM
- Trump Media Resells Stocks and Warrants; KB Home Exceeds Q2 Expectations, and More News • IH Market News • 06/20/2024 10:55:11 AM
- AMD to Power AI-Based Smart Parking Solution for Sun Singapore, the Country’s Largest Provider of Smart Parking Services • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 06/19/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/18/2024 08:18:09 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/18/2024 08:12:29 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/14/2024 08:03:45 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/13/2024 08:14:12 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/12/2024 08:34:23 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/11/2024 09:40:41 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/10/2024 09:22:35 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/10/2024 08:16:19 PM
Greenlite Ventures Completes Agreement with No Limit Technology • GRNL • Jul 19, 2024 10:00 AM
VAYK Expects Revenue from First Airbnb Property Starting from August • VAYK • Jul 18, 2024 9:00 AM
North Bay Resources Acquires Mt. Vernon Gold Mine, Sierra County, California, with Assays up to 4.8 oz. Au per Ton • NBRI • Jul 18, 2024 9:00 AM
Nightfood Holdings Signs Letter of Intent for All-Stock Acquisition of CarryOutSupplies.com • NGTF • Jul 17, 2024 1:00 PM
Kona Gold Beverages Reaches Out to Largest Debt Holder for Debt Purchase Negotiation • KGKG • Jul 17, 2024 9:00 AM
Avant Technologies Welcomes Back Former CEO with Eye Toward Future Growth and Expansion • AVAI • Jul 17, 2024 8:00 AM