Thursday, 13 September 2007

Microsoft and Sun Expand Strategic Alliance

Microsoft and Sun Microsystems announced yesterday that Sun has signed on as a Windows Server OEM and will collaborate to further enable deployment of Windows Server on Sun x64 systems.

"The Sun hardware platform is an excellent foundation for Windows-based enterprise solutions, such as Microsoft Virtual Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition. Our customers will have an additional choice of Windows Server OEM partners with Sun," said Bob Muglia, senior vice president, Server and Tools Division at Microsoft.

"Sun is now a single source for today's leading operating systems - Solaris and Windows - on the industry's most innovative x64 systems and storage products. Customers can now take advantage of the virtualization benefits of Windows and Solaris on Sun's energy efficient x64 systems," said John Fowler, executive vice president, Systems Group, Sun Microsystems.

Under the Windows Server OEM Agreement, Sun will offer Windows Server on its x64 hardware and will provide additional utilities and value-added software offerings to server systems carrying Windows Server. Windows Server 2003 will be available on Sun x64 systems within 90 days. Other agreements include:

• Sun x64 Systems and Storage - Microsoft recognizes Sun's compelling x64 server and storage products in the market today. Microsoft and Sun will continue to work together to test and validate the Windows platform on these systems for scale-up enterprise computing.

• Solaris and Windows Virtualization - Sun and Microsoft will work together to ensure that Solaris runs well as a guest on Microsoft virtualization technologies and that Windows Server runs well as a guest on Sun's virtualization technologies. Sun and Microsoft will work together on a support process for customers who are using the virtualization solutions. This joint commitment to customers ensures that Windows and Solaris will provide a solid virtualization experience.

• Expanded IPTV partnership - Sun and Microsoft will continue to collaborate to advance the worldwide deployment of the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV and multimedia platform on Sun servers and storage systems. AT&T U-verse digital TV offering has chosen Sun for one of world's largest deployments of the Microsoft Mediaroom platform, which includes server and client software. The combination of Sun's server solutions and Microsoft's TV software technology and expertise is expected to speed time-to-market for IPTV services, while providing superior cost and performance characteristics for communications service providers worldwide.

• Expanded investment in interoperability - Microsoft and Sun will build an Interoperability Center on Microsoft's Redmond campus. The Center will include a demonstration area for Sun x64 systems, act as a working lab for Windows on Sun benchmarks and sales tools, and support customers running proofs-of-concept for projects focused on Windows on Sun x64 systems, including joint Sun/Microsoft solutions in areas such as: database, email and messaging, virtualization and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) support in Sun Ray thin clients. The Interoperability Center will expand Sun's presence on the Microsoft main campus, adding to existing Sun systems showcased and customer tested in the Microsoft Enterprise Engineering Center.