Sun-Microsoft agreement breeds anticipation of integration
Published: 11 May 2004 15:15 BST
Cooperation between Sun Microsystems and Microsoft probably won't drastically alter the information technology landscape, analysts and IT professionals say, but it should eliminate some integration headaches.
Last month's historic agreement between the two computing giants is most likely to create near-term progress in two areas: identification and directory services, and Web services.
"I think the benefits to customers are pretty obvious. It's going to be easier to mix and match these environments," said John Fowler, Sun's chief technology officer for software.
The two companies had been "at a high state of acrimony for a long period of time, and we've had to do lots of reverse engineering in our products up to now to make them work with Microsoft products," Fowler added. "Now we can make products work together in a much more direct way."
A Microsoft representative would only email a company statement on the matter: "The announcement laid the foundation for closer collaboration at various levels within the companies, though at this point it is very early to speculate as to specific impact this may have on various products, standards and pending benefits as they relate to different customers and their unique needs."
Directory structures up first
Besides settling pending litigation between the companies, the Sun-Microsoft agreement commits the companies to sharing unspecified technologies and cross-licensing patents, with the goal of improving interoperability between systems.
Initial efforts will be focused on directory structures, identity services and communications protocols, Fowler said, to make it easier for Windows clients to sign on and share data with Sun servers.
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