Sun Microsystems is Selling Windows Server on Their Systems

Wow! A very hot place has frozen over. Sun Microsystems, that once sold only their own software and hardware (notably Sun Solaris) is now selling hardware with Windows 2003 Server installed!

Sun Becomes a Windows Server 2003 OEM

Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have significantly expanded their existing relationship in an agreement that makes Sun a Windows Server 2003 OEM that will sell, pre-install and support that server software across its entire server hardware line. Windows Server 2003 will be available on Sun x64 systems within 90 days, and Sun will also provide other utilities and value-added software offerings to server systems carrying Windows Server, John Fowler, the executive vice president of Sun’s Systems Group, said at a media briefing on Sept. 12. ‘Our entire server line will be available to come with Windows Server 2003 preloaded, and we are already open for early orders. Many of our customers want to use Sun’s platforms together with Microsoft Windows to solve their most difficult business computing problems,’ he said. Sun has become a single source for Solaris and Windows on the its x64 systems and storage products, and customers can now take advantage of the virtualization benefits of Windows and Solaris on Sun’s energy-efficient x64 systems, he said.”