Sun focuses on Solaris

Sun Microsystems is 'missing the boat on Linux,' according to Daryl Plummer, vice president and research director of the GartnerGroup.

'Sun has not built a Java virtual machine for Linux, and it should do,' said Plummer in an exclusive interview with Computing at Information Builders' users conference last week.

He believes that the company does not want to embrace the free operating system because 'it is totally focused on Solaris' and sees Linux as a rival.

'I spoke to Ed Zander (Sun president and chief operating officer) three weeks ago and asked him what Sun would be doing with Linux, and he said nothing. It should promote Linux as a low-end solution platform for the Java platform. That way it could get the open source movement which promotes Enterprise JavaBeans behind it, which eventually leads you past what Linux can offer - onto Solaris,' said Plummer.

Patrick Dorsey, product line manager for Solaris, said he did not consider Linux a threat: ' The success of Linux is increasing the vitality of Unix and helping systems like Solaris.'

Herb Hinstorff, software strategy group manager at Sun, said the company has worked with software companies such as Black Down which have put Java technology into Linux.

He said Sun did not do it itself because 'the open source community don't want corporate activity. They want to keep it free and open. We act as a support resource'.