Sun Revolutionizes Software Landscape with Simplified Products
9/18/2003 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW) opened its SunNetwork user conference by challenging the status quo of the infrastructure software business. As part of its third quarterly Network Computing 03 (NC03Q3) launch, Sun announced the Sun Java System, a radical approach to reducing cost and complexity from network computing. As a part of the Sun Java System, Sun will simplify its entire line of products to six - each complete, open, secure and affordable. Each system product breaks new ground on price, security and interoperability.
"Customers have told us they're tired of throwing millions of dollars away on integration," said Scott McNealy, chairman, president and CEO of Sun. "The CIO should be the Chief Information Officer, not the Chief Integration Officer. The new Sun Java System totally changes the rules and reinforces Sun's commitment to 'systemsness,' our total focus on delivering systems for network computing that solve customer problems. We're not going to sell you a transmission, a carburetor and a bucket of bolts. We're going to build the whole car, and then we're going to thoroughly test it for you and deliver it with a full tank of gas." Sun announced it will now deliver solutions and products around six major Java-branded software systems that integrate all the necessary applications and services on the server, desktop, development platform, operator platform and soon, mobile devices and Java Cards. These integrated, yet open, systems can be easily and quickly deployed for one simple price to an entire global enterprise - and its entire customer, supplier and partner base - on an unlimited number of Sun systems with setup, training and support services included.
"Every business in the world is looking with fascination at the emerging opportunities presented by an always-on, global marketplace," said Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president, Software at Sun. "Yet just as pilots don't fly parts, they fly airplanes, CIOs are tired of hand-tooling custom systems with an array of expensive, hard-to-deploy componentry that differs by server, desktop, device, smartcard, developer and operator. By moving to a consolidated systems approach, Sun is taking the entire Java ecosystem to the next level, and providing a clear signal to the industry that the next wave of investment won't be spent on parts integration - it'll be spent on business innovation."
The six new Java systems are:
- The Sun Java Enterprise System is a consolidation of Sun's entire network services architecture, priced at $100 per employee per year, with infinite right to use in Internet applications.
- The Sun Java Desktop System, formerly known as Project Mad Hatter, is a secure, interoperable, yet virus-free desktop, that integrates a full suite of client applications including the new StarOffice 7, Mozilla open source browser, a full-featured e-mail and collaboration suite, RealNetworks' RealONE and Macromedia Flash. It can be purchased for $100 per desktop or for $50 per employee as an add-on to the Sun Java Enterprise System.
- Sun Java Studio Enterprise, a consolidated set of developer tools for the Sun Java Enterprise System, including an IDE (Integrated Developer Environment), connector builders, plug-ins, and the full Sun Java Enterprise System runtime. This complete offering provides, in one package, all the tools, code samples, services, support and the deployment platform for $5 per employee as an add-on to the Sun Java Enterprise System.
- N1, the next-generation operator's platform, provides virtualization and provisioning services for storage, servers, blade servers and now, applications with the introduction of N1 CenterRun 4.0, which provides one-touch deployment of new shared services.
Sun also announced plans for two additional systems:
- Sun Java Mobility System, which will provide an integrated platform for the delivery of services to the more than 200 million Java-enabled mobile devices on the market today including phones, PDAs and other portable devices.
- Sun Java Card System, a complete platform for providing personal authentication services for secure e-commerce and service delivery to 500 million Java Cards deployed throughout the world today.
"Sun has taken another step in the right direction with Java Enterprise System," said Curt Smith, general manager of Managed Information Systems at SaskTel. "Consistent, regular delivery of Sun's infrastructure software will help SaskTel deliver reliable, innovative, easy-to-use services to our customers."
With the Java Enterprise System, Sun is delivering a complete system where customers can rapidly deploy their services for faster time-to-market and greater return on investment. Comprehensive new capabilities announced today range from identity and directory services to portal, communications and security services and an integrated Java Web services platform. The Java Enterprise System provides 10 new and significantly enhanced components, including most of the middleware products in the platform such as the Java System Application Server (formerly known as Sun ONE), Java System Portal Server, and many others. As part of the Java Enterprise System, Sun today also announced Sun Software Express, a program designed to provide customers early access to its latest innovations. Software Express for Solaris is the first offering, and over time, the program will expand to include all components of the Java Enteprise System.
"As World Book's online encyclopedia business continues to grow, it is imperative to provide our customers with the features they want and need while at the same time controlling our IT costs. The Java Enterprise System not only dramatically reduces our acquisition costs, it provides us with a predictable cost structure under which to manage our business," said Tim Hardy, chief technology officer at WorldBook, Inc. "Having the components fully integrated lets us develop and deploy more functionality to our customers faster, and lets us spend less time upgrading and testing our software. Additionally, because the Java Enterprise System includes a broad range of technologies, it allows us to explore opportunities that we otherwise would not be able to."
About SunNetwork
The SunNetwork 2003 Conference and Pavilion is the only conference 100 percent dedicated to showcasing end-to-end solutions from Sun and our iForce partners. SunNetwork 2003 will provide information and insights through more than 200 education and technical sessions about products and innovations designed to reduce the cost and complexity of network computing. More information about SunNetwork 2003 and registration is available online at http://sunnetwork.sun.com.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position 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
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, SunNetwork, Java, Java Card, StarOffice, iForce and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
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