Well it May be June 14 for storage, but maybe the bigger picture will start to emerge next wk. They mention VRTS/Oracle in this piece.....
Can't beat 'em? Throw in the kitchen sink
Sun, Oracle and Veritas will lift the lid next week on Sun's emerging strategy of selling end-to-end software stacks.
By Deborah Gage and Mary Jo Foley, ZDNet News
May 19, 2000 2:23 PM PT
If you can't beat 'em selling operating systems, try throwing middleware and hardware into the mix.
That seems to be the thinking at Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW). On Monday, the company will announce its plans to offer customers "software stacks" in conjunction with partners Oracle and storage vendor Veritas.
In a nod to the coming announcement, Sun president Ed Zander told attendees at the company's iForce 2000 partner conference in San Diego this week that Sun wants to offer integrated stacks that are tailored for vertical markets. The idea would be similar to how telecommunications companies offer integrated hardware-software platforms to their customers.
Stacking up
Product integration, if done properly, eliminates many of the interoperability headaches that plague users. Sun is trying to provide an end-to-end bundle that includes system software, middleware and hardware. This so-called stack serves as a one-stop platform for customers in different markets.
Sun's stacks will include the operating system software, middleware, storage software and processor. Sun and its partners will test and guarantee a quality of service and a level of reliability for each bundle, Zander said. He added that this level of integration can free up customers to focus on the applications they need to run their businesses.
'We need to play with others, especially Unix, since there are lots of Unix machines and Unix knowledge out there.'
-- Doug Miller, Microsoft
It's unclear exactly what components Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) will provide. The company could contribute anything from its database software to its recently unveiled Internet File System. Oracle officials did not immediately return calls for comment.
Veritas is likely to contribute its file system or volume storage management system. The company this week inked such a deal with Sun rival Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HWP) for the HP-UX 11 operating system. Veritas officials declined comment but a Sun deal could thus help Zander make his case for Solaris as an ideal platform for high-end, mission-critical applications.
Microsoft readies Unix defense
Unix has managed to maintain its reputation as an operating system more suited to high-volume, heavy transaction environments than Microsoft's offerings. Yet over the past couple of weeks, Microsoft has enhanced its Unix compatibility by revving its Services for Unix add-on to Windows 2000/Windows NT. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) also invested an undisclosed amount in CommVault Systems, a storage management vendor with a strong Unix heritage.
"Microsoft is realizing the enterprise environment is a heterogeneous one, from here on out," said Doug Miller, group product manager with Microsoft's interoperability and strategies group. "We need to play with others, especially Unix, since there are lots of Unix machines and Unix knowledge out there."
Miller acknowledged this is a "genuine shift" in thinking at Microsoft. "It means that we're addressing interoperability beyond the file level -- we're also tackling it at the application-sharing level."
Miller offered Microsoft's critique of Sun's pending software stack plan, claiming Sun "only provides part of the solution." He added that, "they (Sun and its partners) run out of steam at the middleware and applications points. Even though Sun claims to work well with Oracle, it's hard to believe they'll really have the integration customers need."
The irony of Sun's latest positioning is not lost on Microsoft. While Sun calls for tighter integration among software and hardware, it simultaneously is advocating that the U.S. government scrutinize Microsoft's integration of its own products as part of the current Department of Justice investigation.
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