Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[KeithDust2000]

Sun Expands Successful HP Away Program With Opteron Systems, Offers Solaris as Dependable Alternative to Faltering HP-UX Roadmap


Sun Highlights More Than 150 Customers That Migrated to Sun as a Result of HP
Ending Support for AlphaServer Tru64 Servers and Its Lack of Commitment to
HP-UX

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sun Microsystems,
Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) today announced that it is expanding the successful HP
Away migration program to include a migration path to Sun's AMD Opteron
processor-based workstations and servers. Sun is combining its 64-bit
enterprise computing experience with the AMD Opteron processor, and providing
additional value with the Solaris (TM) operating system, the Sun Java (TM)
Enterprise Software, N1(TM), Linux and the Java Desktop System, to create
systems with unmatched security, scalability and availability from the desktop
to the enterprise. At the heart of the HP Away migration program is the
Solaris operating system, the clear alternative for HP customers frustrated
with HP's lack of commitment to its UNIX operating system.
"HP is forcing customers to migrate from one platform to another, but
customers are balking because HP has limited credibility with HP-UX," said
Larry Singer, Sun's senior vice president, strategic insights officer. "By
migrating more than 150 HP customers to Sun systems running SPARC we've proven
there is a demand to find a better alternative. Now for customers that want
to run UNIX on x86 we're offering the advantage of cheaper, better performing,
higher functioning systems with our Opteron platform."
Sun has effectively upstaged HP by offering systems that support Linux,
can offer better performance, and deliver a clear path to Solaris for
customers that want to run Unix. In addition, Sun is helping developers and
ISVs protect their technology investments by making it easy to port from HP to
Sun systems based on the AMD Opteron processor, through the Migration to Sun
platforms program.

Sun's AMD Opteron Processor Advantage
(http://www.sun.com/executives/realitycheck/reality-080904.html)
Sun offers the industry's best performing and the most complete line of
AMD Opteron processor-based servers with the two processor Sun Fire (TM) V20z
server and the four processor Sun Fire V40z server. The Sun Fire V40z server
demonstrated best performance among all four CPU x86 servers in 2-tier SAP
Sales and Distribution Standard Application Benchmark. It performs up to
23% better than a comparably equipped HP ProLiant Xeon-based server and up to
6.5% better than HP's 4-way Opteron-based server. And, Sun has worked closely
with AMD to optimize the Solaris Operating System, Linux, and the Java
Enterprise System-as well as Microsoft Windows-to run on the systems.
Workstation customers can also turn to Sun for AMD Opteron processor-based
systems. Sun now offers leading performance with its new Sun Java Workstation
W1100z and Sun Java Workstation W2100z. These systems are offered with the
latest release of the Java Desktop System running either the Solaris x86 OS or
Linux.
"Sun offers better value and performance on servers based on industry
standard components-with the added advantage of our 64-bit heritage in
operating systems and broad enterprise application support," said John Fowler,
executive vice president of Sun's Network Systems Group. "We have the most
complete line of Opteron servers, and more are on the way. We're the only
company that delivers an enterprise proven UNIX operating system on x86 with
Solaris. For customers that want to run Linux we provide systems with
screaming performance and broad application support. What I'd like to say to
HP customers is you can rest peacefully knowing that Sun is offering a
brighter future."

Sun Highlights Customer Migrations
The HP Away program was launched last year to help offer a no-risk
alternative for customers concerned by HP's announced end-of-life of its
AlphaServer Tru64 platform. Then earlier this year, the program was expanded
to include all HP customers using the HP-UX operating system-a lifeline to
customers frustrated with HP's continued product delays and security issues
(for more detail on security flaws, see: http://www.secunia.com/advisories/12246/).
Since the program was introduced, Sun has successfully migrated more than
150 customers. The following describe how two of these customers have
benefited from moving to a Sun environment:

TKEC (Taiwan): Tsann Kuen Group, the leader of small home appliances and
3C retail chain store businesses in Taiwan and China, migrated its existing HP
server environment to new Sun servers to build and support a highly available
and scalable ERP platform. The new architecture will be re-enforced with
additional resources to support the continuous growth of ERP application
users. Tsann Kuen chose a Sun Fire (TM) 12K server running the Solaris OS and
StorEdge (TM) 9970 to ensure a more stable and secured operating system.

Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA): ULBRA's IT department supports
the IT needs for ULBRA hospital, which needed more compute power to implement
new applications for the hospital administration. The university's overall
administrative computing systems were demanding more power than their HP
AlphaServer Tru64 infrastructure was providing. By migrating to two Sun Fire
4800 servers in a Sun Cluster (TM) environment, and a Sun backup solution with
capacity of more than 5TB, the university now has the power and reliability it
needs. The Sun solution runs the hospital's main systems replication, as well
as the primary, high school, college and Ph.D databases, payroll, and
management information. By moving from the old HP platform to the new Sun
environment, ULBRA's applications run almost five times faster.

New Migration Tools
The HP Away migration program is a shared risk model in which Sun and
partners work with customers to deploy an effective migration solution. Today
Sun is expanding this program with new tools and offerings targeted to help
customers adopt Sun's low cost x86 solutions. Specifically, these programs
are:

-- A complete set of Solaris x86 tools and resources to move to the
Solaris x86 OS.
-- Special promotions for developers and enterprise customers on the new
Sun Fire V20z server for up to 41% off the retail price, and a
three-year subscription to the Solaris OS.
-- Solaris Enterprise Subscription x86 packages for up to 80% off
competitors' offerings.
-- Special financing for qualifying customers: no payments, no interest
until 2005; 3.9% financing to ease transition to Solaris x86 and AMD
Opteron-based servers. Certain terms and conditions apply. Subject to
credit approval. Exact interest rate may vary.

For more information on the HP Away migration program go to
http://www.sun.com/datacenter/migration/hp_offer.html. For more information on the
Migration to Sun platforms developers program go to
http://www.sun.com/partners/migration.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network is the
Computer(TM)" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. to its osition as a
leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that
make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the
World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, The Network is the Computer,
Sun Fire, Java StorEdge, Sun Cluster, and Solaris are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Sun Microsystems,Inc. in the United States and other countries.
UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries,
exclusively licensed through X/Open Company Ltd. Specifications are subject to
change without notice.

Contact: Mark Richardson of Sun Microsystems, Inc., [phone], of
[e-mail]; or Bill Danon of Bite Communications,
[phone], or [e-mail], for Sun Microsystems, Inc.