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Q & A
Sun/Microsoft Q&A with Greg Papadopoulos
Wednesday, December 1, 3:00 PM PT
Q: What is the status of the relationship between Sun and
Microsoft?
Greg Papadopoulos: Our relationship with Microsoft is
going very well and our projects are on track. I'm very pleased with
how we're working with Microsoft. We're engaging with Microsoft on a
business and technical level on a fairly regular basis. We're still in
the beginning of our 10 year collaboration agreement, but we've made
great progress over the past few months.
Q: What progress has been made since the announcement last
Spring?
GP: There has been a great deal of progress made with
Microsoft. In addition to the customer advisory meetings we've arranged
and the regular executive meetings, we've established a high level
roadmap for collaboration between the two companies. The roadmap
outlines the areas where we're working jointly to solve some important
technical challenges and provide our customers with unparalleled
interoperability advantages.
Q: What did Sun and Microsoft disclose on December 1?
GP: Our call with Microsoft was designed to provide
press and analysts with an update on the status of our relationship and
to give some details on the areas that we're working with Microsoft.
Q: What are the key areas of work between the two companies?
GP: The key areas of collaboration between Sun and
Microsoft are twofold. First is how Microsoft has ended the life of its
Java Virtual Machine and is recommending that users use the version Sun
provides.
The second area concerns the work the two companies are doing
to ensure greater interoperability. This includes our joint work on
technology for next generation web services infrastructure and identity
solutions. In addition, it includes Sun and Microsoft building a
complete ecosystem for Windows running on Sun's Opteron based
workstations and servers including Windows certification, driver
certification, back line support and our technical engagement within
Microsoft's competency lab in Redmond. Finally, we are working to
ensure that Sun's storage products work well in a Windows environment.
Q: How will the our cooperation with Microsoft help our
customers?
GP: The customer response we've gotten about our work
with Microsoft so far has been overwhelmingly positive. The customers
I've talked to all recognize that our work will result in quicker
adoption of identity and web services technology In addition, Sun and
Microsoft products will be uniquely interoperable and this will help
customers cut cost by solving their interoperability problems so they
don't have to and provide our customers with greater flexibility and
choice with their IT infrastructure.
Q: Does our continued work with Microsoft mean that we're
no longer competing as aggressively?
GP: Absolutely not. At the end of the day Sun and
Microsoft will still be competing on a number of fronts and are
committed to continuing product innovation. However, the nature of our
competition will change to rely more on the attributes of the products
themselves than on more intangible elements.
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