Sun spots Linux gap

Sun Microsystems has reversed its previous disdain for Linux and declared the operating system is its main weapon in the war on Microsoft's Windows NT platform.

Ed Zanders, president at Sun Microsystem, claimed it offered customers the opportunity to move away from Microsoft and IBM's grip on the low-end server market which he described as controlling and proprietary.

Zanders said: "This is the most threatening move for Microsoft and it is a big economic opportunity for us. People are tired of paying the Microsoft taxes and the security, reliability, complexity and virus problems.

"We are saying in a loud voice that there is an alternative to Microsoft's Windows NT and it is an open source platform."

In addition, SunOne will be released on the Linux platform.

Solaris 8 will offer Linux support as well as the availability of professional services for Linux.

More precise details of the exact time frame of the releases, product lines affected and changes to branding will be made over the next few days and months, confirmed Zanders.

However, analysts have suggested the announcement represents a U-turn in Sun's strategy which until now has focused on high-end Unix servers.

Zanders dismissed these allegations.

"For the past 12 months we've been shipping Linux on Cobalt boxes, we have over 100,000 deployments. But the last thing we want to do is move away from Solaris - we are expanding our strategy in this area and it further endorses our belief that Solaris is the number one operating system."

In recent years IBM has been the company mainly associated with a strong Linux strategy while Sun has been seen as the number one for proprietary Unix.

This is a myth, said Zanders.

"IBM's Linux strategy is convoluted right from AIX to mainframe. IBM is wrong to believe that the operating system is the differentiator for mainframes. This is not where the value proposition is, it's in web services and enabling technologies like Java - the support for applications."

"We are ready willing and able," he warned Microsoft.

Sun bought Cobalt in December 2000. Cobalt makes bright blue Linux servers in cube and rack form.