QS - There is little doubt that MSFT has in the past used every means at their disposal to forward their agenda, lock users into their products, and stifle competition, and that they have a corporate culture and mindset that makes that attitude a virtue, which probably means they will continue to do so in the future.
Likewise, few in the industry doubt that things would be better if MSFT was a better citizen, and the DOJ action, although misguided in many respects, has already caused changes that free up the marketplace for MSFT competitors in ways that benefit the industry in general.
The question for SUNW shareholders, and the reason I currently have no position in SUNW, is whether there is any justification for SUNW top management to have taken on the crusade, at least this particular crusade. My concern is that they are choosing a battle which does not go at the real problem.
The particular area that Sun is going after is one where they have never had any particular traction - the volume desktop market. It is clear that people can and do use the latest JVM with their Windows products, and that those products work well - one might even say seamlessly - with the MSFT OS. The press on this issue does nothing to present Sun's value proposition around either reliable enterprise computing or Java as a mechanism for enhanced networking. It does not highlight Sun technology, innovation, or core capability. And given the market conditions and history I think it will be very difficult to demonstrate any real damages.
This reminds me of the Ray Nooda quest - which I think was central to Novell's decline. I just don't see the point, aside from McNealy's sense of "what's right". It sure does not induce me to think any better of SUNW prospects. |
