Sun's McNealy announces Linux deal with Chinese government

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/7285339.htm

Posted on Mon, Nov. 17, 2003

Sun's McNealy announces Linux deal with Chinese government

By Dean Takahashi

Mercury News

Sun Microsystems Chief Executive Scott McNealy always seemed
like he was tilting at windmills when he said Sun would
challenge Microsoft's dominance on the desktop computer.

But McNealy announced today that the Chinese government has
pledged to deploy a million computers in the next year using
Sun's Linux desktop software. The cost: $50 per license for
Sun's desktop software, which includes its Star Office 7.0
productivity program that is a clone of Microsoft's Office
suite. Microsoft Office can cost more than $400 a copy.

The China Standard Software Co., a consortium of
government-funded companies, selected Sun as its preferred
technology partner to deploy Linux-based desktops. The deal
is part of China's deliberate policy to diversify away from
Microsoft. Other governments in Europe and Asia have
embraced a similar strategy, as has the state of
Massachusetts. China has pledged to deploy 200 million
copies of open standards-based desktop software.

``This I believe makes us the No. 1 Linux desktop play on
the planet,'' McNealy said today at the Comdex technology
trade show in Las Vegas. ``That's not the only opportunity.
We're calling on every ministry of information technology on
the planet.''

Sun has been demonstrating its Java Desktop System for the
past year, which the company says it will begin shipping in
December. At a later time, Sun will announce which hardware
companies will ship systems with the Sun software on it,
said John Loiacono, Sun's vice president of operating
systems.

The announcement was just one of several years-long
strategic efforts that are coming to a head at Sun. Sun also
announced a previously reported deal to create servers based
on Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron microprocessor. The
strategic alliance will challenge Intel's Itanium
microprocessor.

Contact Dean Takahashi at dtakahashi@mercurynews.com or
(408) 920-5739.

© 2003 Mercury News and wire service sources. All Rights
Reserved. http://www.bayarea.com

To facilitate co-ordination regarding the introduction of OSS SW in Vietnam

Subscribe to OSS:

Subscribe | Unsubscribe