An Open Letter From Jonathan Schwartz
Microsoft's recent unilateral decision to discontinue
support for Windows 98 and other products as of December 23,
2003 offers users a lesson, and an opportunity. It's a
lesson in how a company with legendary market dominance can
lose sight of customer priorities, and force an unnecessary
transition onto a customer base already paralyzed with
viruses and security breaches.
It's also an opportunity to explore a world of alternatives
Sun and the open community are creating to deliver a more
affordable and secure desktop operating environment - called
the Java(tm) Desktop System.
Now, publicly, Microsoft says Sun forced its hand. Yet, they overlooked that this issue was part of a settlement it
agreed to and Sun extended until September of next year. So
apparently without consulting customers, partners or ISV's,
Microsoft has unilaterally elected to pull their products
from the market, then blamed it on Sun.
We'd like you to know that this isn't accurate.
The agreement between Sun and Microsoft gives customers a
graceful transition path to a future platform, that extends
far beyond December 23. Moreover, Sun has offered, and will
continue to offer, a license to Java technology that would
spare Microsoft any transition whatsoever so long as
Microsoft maintains compatibility, and a commitment to the
preservation of the very same standards igniting the world
of web
services.
The "One Java" platform is unleashing innovation everywhere
from servers using the J2EE(tm) platform to mobile handsets
running the J2ME (tm) platform, to desktops shipping from
Dell, HP and Apple and with Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, and
Vodafone's driving a new world of high value content.
All platforms except, curiously, Microsoft's Windows
desktop.
Until now.
While Microsoft scapegoats Sun, the world is discovering the
wonders of Sun's Java Desktop System - which delivers all
the functionality of
a Windows environment, at a tenth the price, and with ten
times the security. The Chinese government discovered it.
The United Kingdom's
National Health Service and Office of Government Commerce
discovered it. Just like hospitals, universities, retailers
- and soon, some of the
worlds largest enterprises - have discovered. Sun's Java
Desktop System delivers an engaging, very low cost
alternative to the proprietary Microsoft platform - which
you can deploy without retraining, or fear of
incompatibility.
So the next time an IT provider comes at you with a
unilateral decision, no matter their market power, remember
just one thing, customers always, always, have a right to
choose. We encourage you to exercise that right and eagerly
await an opportunity to help.
Because your savings - not your budget - is our passion.
Jonathan Schwartz
Executive Vice President, Software Group
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
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