Wow, this is big news for Sun: The next version of Solaris will be free and open-source, and will also run Linux apps without any changes. Sun will make money from enterprise support and solutions, as well as related hardware sales. This may be what it takes to bring Sun back from the brink and make it truly competitive again. The advantages of Linux are not so compelling for enterprises compared to a free Solaris, which is arguably a far more sophisticated and tested OS. Furthermore, with Sun backing it up with a worldwide service and support network, I can see many enterprises deciding that for "professional, mission-critical" applications free Solaris plus Sun Support would be a more reliable choice than going with Linux. Finally it seems Sun is "drinking the Cool-Aid" -- now, let's see if they have the guts to open-source Java next...
Comments