Frequently Asked Questions

Pricing, Ordering, and Restrictions

1. How do I place an order?
   
   First, apply to the Sun Startup Essentials program. Upon verification and approval into the program, you will receive an email that contains your login information to the online Sun Store. Then you can login to http://sun.com/Startup-store where you may check out the products and special pricing as well as place your order online.
   
   
2. Where do I find equipment pricing?
   
   Specific system pricing, discounts and purchase limits are accessible in the Sun Startup Essentials section of the Sun Store. Use the login information sent with your acceptance letter.
   
   
3. How come when I log into the Sun Store I do not see the Sun Startup Essentials Pricing?
   
   To see the special promotional pricing for products in the Startup Essentials Program, you must log into the Sun Store using the instructions emailed as part of the Welcome Letter. Customers will only see the special promotional pricing in the Sun Startup Essentials portion of the Sun Store.
   
   
4. Why don't I see any discounts in the Sun Startup Essentials section of the Sun Store?
   
   In the Sun Startup Essentials section of the Sun Store, all products and services are fully discounted. The list price shown is the discounted list price. You will not see any additional discount.
   
   
5. How long will it take to receive the products I have ordered?
   
   Lead times for delivery vary depending on product and credit status. You can see lead times by logging into the Sun Startup Essentials section of the Sun Store, placing items of interest into your cart, then clicking on View Cart.
   
   
6. Is there a maximum or minimum purchase quantity or amount?
   
   The maximum purchase amount is $150,000 US dollars for each year (12 months from acceptance into the program) the startup qualifies for the program. There is no minimum amount.
   
   
7. Are refunds or exchanges available?
   
   This program offers highly discounted equipment and does not allow for exchanges or refunds.
   
   
8. When does the term for the annual purchase limit begin and end?
   
   Annual purchase limits begin on the date of your approval into the program, and continue for 12 months. These limits are reset upon approval of your annual review at which time your eligibility will be re-evaluated. Your company must reapply, and if it meets program criteria, it will enjoy the benefits for another year.
   
   
9. I am in the really early stages of development and I don't have an Angel Investor or Venture Capital funding yet. Can I use 3rd party financing to purchase Sun Startup Essentials discounted hardware?
   
   The ability to have financing through a 3rd party financial institution is allowed in the Sun Startup Essentials program as long as the funding partner is acceptable to Sun. Please contact our sales representatives directly at 1-(800)-503-8296 for more details.
   
   
10. Can the Sun Startup Essentials program help me find funding for my startup business?
    
    Yes. Sun and Plug and Play Tech Center, a leading startup incubator and investor, are partnering to deliver VC Connect, a Sun Startup Essentials program offer. As a member of this program, you can now be reviewed for possible connection to a network of more than 200 investors. VC Connect gives Sun Startup Essentials program members the opportunity to be matched up with venture capitalists, angel investors, or corporate investors focused on corresponding verticals or technologies. If selected, you'll have the opportunity to be introduced to interested investors for possible funding of your startup. At this time, VC Connect is available in the United States only. Learn more
    
    
11. Can I, as a Sun Startup Essentials member, have my Sun approved hosting provider purchase the discounted hardware through the Sun Startup Essentials program for my use?
    
    Yes you can. Approved Sun hosting partners can purchase the discounted hardware through the Sun Startup Essentials program with the following restrictions:
    • The hardware will be purchased for the sole benefit of the approved Sun Startup Essentials member
    • The hardware will be dedicated to the Sun Startup Essentials member and can not be shared with another party
    • The approved Sun hosting partner will not have the $150,000 annual spending limit, but will need to comply with the member $150,000 annual spending limit
    • Sun approved hosting partners can not purchase the discounted hardware for their own use
    • Sun reserves the right to audit any approved Sun hosting partner to verify compliance
    • Sun reserves the right to terminate the hosting agreement for violation of the compliance rules

Product-Related

1. What types of hardware and software are available?
   
   A wide range of hardware configurations and options are available, including CoolThreads technology-based T1000 and T2000 servers, Sun Fire x64 servers featuring Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron processors, Sun StorageTek network attach and direct attach storage, x64 and SPARC workstations, and monitors. Software includes:
   • Solaris 10 Operating System
   • Sun Java Enterprise System
   • Sun development tools such as NetBeans, Sun Studio Development Tools (Sun Studio, Java Studio Creator, Java Studio Enterprise), and Cool Tools
   • MySQL Enterprise - Try if free for 30 Days

   New products and services are under consideration for inclusion in the program, so be sure and check back for the latest offering.

2. Is software included when I buy hardware?
   
   If you purchase Sun Startup Essentials systems (servers or workstations), you receive a Sun Developer Network All Access Kit. This includes many of Sun's most popular tools, technologies, and software previews. Note: software is not pre-loaded, and is subject to the standard click-though license agreements that come with the software.
   
   
3. What warranty support is included?
   
   Standard Warranty Support options apply to all products sold within this program. See:
   
   Hardware:
   http://www.sun.com/service/warranty/product_warranty_chart.xml
   
   Software:
   http://www.sun.com/service/support/warranty/index.html
   
   
4. Is service available?
   
   Yes, discounted service is available for the Solaris 10 OS. All Sun Startup Essentials program products are eligible for standard systems and storage service. Learn more about standard service plans!
   
   
5. More questions?
   
   You can send questions to the Sun Startup Essentials program team.

Startups Ask Sun

1. What is Startups Ask Sun?
   
   Startups Ask Sun is a set of free resources such as email technical and engineering support, Web based training and forums. Startup companies approved in the Sun Startup Essentials program can request technical assistance from experts at Sun. Startups Ask Sun engineers are highly experienced in various products and technologies.
   
   
2. Who is eligible for using Startups Ask Sun?
   
   All startup companies approved for the Sun Startup Essentials program are eligible for Startups Ask Sun.
   
   
3. How much does Startups Ask Sun cost?
   
   It's free for startup companies approved into the Sun Startup Essentials program. Please be advised, this service is offered AS-IS and on a best effort basis. Resolution to the problem is not guaranteed. When resolution to the problem is beyond the scope of this email support, our experts will advise on fee-based support options based on the complexity of the issues.
   
   
4. Is there a limit on number of questions that a customer can send to Startups Ask Sun?
   
   No
   
   
5. How quickly can I expect answers from the Startups Ask Sun team?
   
   Startups Ask Sun email support is provided on best-effort basis only. However, someone from the team will make every effort to respond to your questions by the next business day.
   
   
6. What type of questions can Startups Ask Sun help with?
   
   Questions can range from:
   • High level architecture
   • Design and coding
   • Systems and Storage configuration, specifications, How-Tos
   • Sanity checks, workarounds and best practice guidance
   • Performance tuning and scalability testing
     
     
7. Which products are covered by Startups Ask Sun email support?
   
   Startups Ask Sun can help answer questions related to all Sun products including Solaris, systems, storage and Java Enterprise System. Additionally, we offer expertise on open source applications optimized on the Solaris platform.
   
   
8. Can the Startups Ask Sun team help me determine what systems and storage I should buy for my workloads?
   
   Yes, Startups Ask Sun is the right team to help you to purchase the right equipment for best performance of your products and services.
   
   
9. Can I file bugs and escalations through Startups Ask Sun?
   
   The Startups Ask Sun team is unable to file bugs and escalations. Please consider Sun Developer Expert Assistance program or Sun service plans for developers and software for escalating bugs. Service plans information is available at http://www.sun.com/services

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