I used to work for Sun Microsystems. In fact I was there quite a while, 1999-2006 when they acquired what remained of Netscape (yes, the browser company).
Today’s news is something of seismic shift in the IT world.
Sun started out in 1982, way before the internet and the dot .com boom. With its tag line “The network is the computer” they were way ahead of their time. They made (still make) some of the best computers on the planet, their Solaris operating system has stability and reliability that is a dream to Windows, Mac and Linux users.
Sun also brought us Java (you’ll likely have that on your mobile), thin client devices that really worked, and huge contributions to networking that are still providing the backbone to most of the websites you use everyday.
Unfortunately, whilst Sun was great at technology, it was miserable at business. It spent too much money on R&D, failed to downsize when it had to and didn’t stop the burgeoning ranks of useless middle management sapping its strength. It stubbornly refused to accept Windows/Office on the desktop, the commoditization of servers and failed to make money out of its unique Java technology (unlike Oracle and IBM.)
Today it was bought by Oracle, something of a sad end to an era, though probably better than the slow fizzling out that was the only alternative.
Many of Sun’s products will doubtless survive, but many will be lost as unprofitable. In the cold, hard reality of the credit crunch, innovation for its own sake is a game only to be played by the rich and secure, and Sun couldn’t sustain it. A huge shame though, as Sun’s approach is unlikely to be carried forward by the profits focussed Oracle. The IT industry is poorer today.
Sun Microsystems, 1982-2009. RIP.
Oddly enough, that now means that every company I’ve ever worked for has been acquired by another around 3 years after I left, I wonder if my current employer should be worried!
Recent Comments