Wasn't this SUNW's vision?
It was, but I think there's a significant shift in the business model here.
Sun was touting always-on "webtone" and computing-as-utility models 5-6 years ago, it's true. But their spiel
contemplated them being the "plumbing" suppliers, and had somebody else, e.g. the now semi-defunct Exodus, providing the actual service.
What IBM is doing (from my perspective anyway) is recognizing the trend toward commoditization of major plumbing, and going into the business of becoming a large compute-grid-utility supplier themselves. Comparable to a SETI-type deal? A service bureau? Those are two very different things, and I think what IBM is doing is neither of those, but rather something that we haven't seen yet.
Though it was Sun's initial vision, the vision was vague, and vague visions are a dime a dozen. Over-financed under-conceived web-hosting flopperoos like EXDS (which really was a service bureau) twarn't it. It looks to me like IBM is putting money, management and machines behind initial concrete implementations of a true compute-utility model while Sun is still relying on others to innovate in that area.
Not that anything is going to change overnight, but I think it's significant, and potentially a significant opportunity for Sun.
--QS |
