The future of Oracle and Sun

Oracle first announced the $7.4 billion buyout.  Now it’s time to examine the future of Oracle and Sun, including what will happen to Sun’s server hardware, Java, virtualization software and the open source database MySQL.  Bookmark this page to stay updated on all the latest breaking news and analysis as Oracle goes forward with its plans for acquiring Sun Microsystems.

Oracle and Sun: Read the fine print: If you tuned in to Oracle’s four-hour webcast on its plans for Sun, you may have strained to hear what Oracle’s specific plans were for pricing and support (and the pricing for support). That’s because there was very little said.

Sun’s Simon Phipps bids Oracle adieu: Simon Phipps bids Oracle Simon Phipps, one of the most vocal supporters of open source inside Sun Microsystems announced in his blog yesterday that he is stepping down from his post as Chief Open Source Officer.

Larry’s suddenly Sunny disposition: Speaking at an event over the weekend celebrating his triumphant return with The America’s Cup in hand, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison said he expects his other prize - Sun Microsystems - to be profitable “right away."

After Oracle-Sun deal: Some good news for Sun VARs: Sun channel hopes for Oracle licensing changes and less-than-expected channel conflict on hardware deals.

Oracle pledges to continue Sun’s open source storage and tape products: In a webcast detailing Oracle’s strategy for Sun following European Union approval of its $7.4 billion deal to buy the company, Oracle says it intends to continue selling Sun’s enterprise data storage hardware.

Oracle-Sun combo sparks VAR anxiety: Oracle will take Sun's biggest 4,000 accounts direct, claiming customers want hardware, software and support from one vendor.

Oracle gains the EC's approval to acquire Sun: After three months of intense investigations, the European Commission gave its unconditional approval to Oracle’s proposed acquisition of Sun, opening up a new chapter in the company’s history.

Oracle-Sun, deal done, channel shakeout expected: Sun VARs worry about renewal revenue, Oracle VARs fear more competition.

Here comes the Sun: After nine long months of wending its way through all the necessary international government agencies, Oracle’s $7.4 billion bid to acquire Sun Microsystems has been approved and so officially declared not to be a health hazard to the IT industry. So now what?

Jeff Epstein, CFO of Oracle, discusses the company’s operational strategy when dealing with acquisition integration.

Juergen Rottler, EVP of Oracle Global Customer Services, discusses the future of customer service and support at Oracle

.

Hardware

IT shops want more throats to choke: Cisco, Hewlett Packard, and Oracle insist that IT shops are clamoring for unified computing and want to get their IT gear from one vendor. But IT pros tell a different story.

Oracle lays out its vision for a Sunny future: Oracle and Sun executives laid out their product plans focused on integrated hardware-software stacks and selling to and servicing large customers

Oracle-Sun competitors believe they can ‘stack’ up: Oracle’s integrated stack strategy failed to impress Oracle-Sun competitors IBM and SAP. Both believe it is an approach users will not go for.

Oracle's pledges to support Sparc, Solaris: Oracle has pledged continued investment in Sparc and Solaris, though the company's x86 plans remain a concern.

Oracle's data warehouse strategy unclear after Sun acquisition: With its acquisition of Sun Microsystems complete, Oracle faces a slew of questions regarding its data warehouse strategy.

Sun's John Fowler, Executive Vice president of Hardware Engineering, talks about the future of the Oracle-Sun hardware strategy during the live Jan. 27 webcast that focused on the plans for the two companies. 

Development

Oracle execs heat up Java discussion: We recently took a look at some recent Oracle developments on the MySQL front, but what about Java?

Bringing SOA into the cloud: Will it work? SOA is expected to grow 25% in the next three years, according to new data from the IDC. what are the potential challenges that need to be addressed before putting SOA applications in the cloud?

Oracle rolls out new lifecycle management for Sun environment: Oracle has backed up its promise to support Sun environments with the delivery of Oracle lifecycle management software for Sun’s Sparc and Solaris products.

Can Oracle virtualization be a player?The Oracle virtualization push will gain some steam with the release of Oracle VM 3, but large shops may not want to hand over any more of their infrastructure.

Oracle desperately seeking cloud cred: Oracle kicks off a worldwide cloud computing tour to counter claims from cloud denier Larry Ellison.

Oracle-Sun: The Java community speaks: A few of Sun Microsystems' projects will be halted in the wake of its takeover by Oracle, but the important Java tools will stick around.

Sun acquisition brings more Oracle virtualization options: Now that the Sun acquisition is complete, the Oracle virtualization roadmap is taking shape. The focus will be on integrated management and converged hardware and software.

Oracle to Sun open source users: Don't worry: Oracle promised to continue Sun Microsystem's open source commitment for MySQL, Open Office, and Solaris but open source users are skeptical.

Oracle-Sun virtualization plans come into focus: Less than a week after the Oracle-Sun Microsystems acquisition closed, executives discussed the future of Oracle VM, Sun VirtualBox and other virtualization products.

Oracle's Ellison sees success in Java-based middleware: CEO Ellison says success capitalizing on Java will hinge on overall success in middleware. Early take: Oracle will now feature both enterprise and lightweight middleware lines.