A bit more on SUNW, not entirely OT. Sun lies in wait for Microsoft launch By John Paczkowski Redherring.com November 5, 1999
Once again, Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW) is preparing a major offensive against archrival Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT).
Although Sun has been conspicuously quiet in recent weeks about its hated competitor, there's little doubt who's in its cross hairs. Sun announced this week plans to ship a new version of its operating system, Solaris 8, in February -- the same month Microsoft plans to unveil its long-awaited Windows 2000 software. Coincidence? Not a chance.
Windows 2000 is the next version of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system, favored by corporations and designed for centrally managed desktop computers in client-server environments. It's also the company's answer to Unix -- an operating system long championed by Sun -- which enjoys widespread popularity as a platform for both workstations and Internet servers. Although NT usage has grown steadily, it's failed to unseat Unix. In February, Microsoft hopes to turn that tide.
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TIT FOR TAT
Microsoft is aggressively targeting top-tier enterprise and e-commerce customers with two Windows 2000 editions: Advanced Server and Datacenter. On the other hand, Sun hopes Solaris 8 will attract Linux and Windows NT users to an already substantial Unix user base.
"Solaris will run on anything from a laptop to a mainframe," Tom Goguen, Sun product group manager, says. "Because of the mind share we have in the Internet space, we see ourselves being leveraged more and more across the entire infrastructure."
Hoping to leverage that mind share, Sun integrated into Solaris 8 two development tools based on the programming language Perl and Unix replacement GNU, which Linux developers find attractive. The new operating system also offers enriched Web-application services, including support for IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6); Java 2SE, for building Web-centric software applications; and Java Media Framework, for streaming media. The platform also features second-generation 64-bit technology, remote management capabilities, and a synchronization function for personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as a Palm handheld computer. The company asserts all existing Solaris applications will be compatible with Solaris 8, so application upgrades won't be necessary.
By contrast, Chris Ray, a Microsoft business enterprise product manager, says Windows 2000 will come in three different editions, targeting a wide range of users, from small businesses to large ISPs. It will offer enhanced Web application services, increased scalability, and increased security. He also claims the software, which supports remote administration and integrated multimedia and data-networking services, will be more stable and reliable than earlier NT operating systems.
WHO'S ON SECOND
According to Jonathan Eunice, analyst and advisor at IT consultancy Illuminata, scalability has long been the defining difference between the two platforms. "Windows 2000 scalability is dramatically lower than Unix scalability, both at the OS level and -- perhaps even more importantly -- in terms of database management systems and application enablers," he says. "Windows 2000 was supposed to be the platform that finally whipped Unix in an absolute performance sense. But given NT's history of limited scalability, it's hard to see how that will happen."
Mr. Ray is quick to dismiss such criticism. "Windows 2000 will definitely be able to scale," he says. He points out that Nasdaq recently rolled out a mission-critical application that runs on the platform and "has all the headroom it needs."
Performance issues aside, the near-ubiquity of Windows may present problems for Sun, which created Java, a much-heralded programming language that's supposed to allow computers of all kinds to communicate with each other. That promise remains unfulfilled.
By comparison, Microsoft Windows in large part has become a standard, and is compatible across manufacturers and products. That compatibility has contributed greatly to its rise in popularity. It's also why Sun aggressively pursued a back-end server model that doesn't rely heavily on desktop-based applications.
"Think of it this way," says Mr. Eunice. "Windows 2000 isn't a better technology than Unix. But for a large number of users and applications, it presents a better business case."
AND A SET OF GINSU KNIVES
When it hits shelves in February, Windows 2000 Professional will sell for an estimated retail price of $319. An upgrade from Windows NT will cost $149, the current price of Windows NT upgrades. Reasonable prices will help strengthen Microsoft's foothold in the market.
Sun, which hasn't disclosed Solaris 8 pricing, will aggressively promote Solaris 8 Early Access packages containing software, a free license, documentation, and an unlimited license for Sun's Staroffice productivity software suite, all for $20. "I feel like we should be throwing in a set of Ginsu knives," Mr. Goguen says.
Despite the optimism, both companies face major challenges. For example, even though Microsoft's new software touts an Active Directory feature for managing servers and PCs over networks, the technology is new and unproven. For Sun, critics charge the company unnecessarily inflates prices, so Solaris pricing may be a delicate issue. In addition, launching major new products on the heels of Y2K concerns may throw a wrench into the works for both companies.
Whatever the challenges, first-mover advantage is everything these days -- even when it's shared with a rival.
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