Marion's Weblog

As I have mentioned I am on vacation taking a financial planning class this week. At lunch today I was talking to a financial planner from Seattle who works for a large brokerage house. After I told him that I work for Sun he asked me " So what is Sun's business? " I felt like I should have a really good answer. You know I should have an elevator pitch answer, but I wasn't sure that I did. I took a deep breath and said, " Sun has always been known as a computer hardware company and we still make great powerful computers but we are becoming more and more of a software company. We also are becoming a services company. For example we just announced a subscription service that will allow people to buy computer power for $1 per CPU hour." The conversation went on from there. It seemed like an OK answer but I felt like it could have been better.

Comments:

Old answer: Sun is in the computer business.

New answer: Sun is in the computing business.

The computing business should naturally include computing and storage systems, associated implementation and support services, financing mechanisms (leasing, etc.), necessary layered products (OS, storage management software, etc.).

Think of a car dealership (McNealy's favorite analogy). They have a pretty big service department, and most offer prepaid service programs. They are as much a bank as a store, offering loans and leases. They offer optional remote monitoring services (OnStar), and some level of custom solution (dealer installed options).

Of course Sun offers even more than a typical car dealership, however given the number of traditional Sun customers who still see Sun as purely a hardware play, the analogy is a start.

Posted by 209.214.53.21 on February 16, 2005 at 09:34 PM PST #

it's a good honest answer. Waht about system company? CxO answers are too much audience dependant. Everybody get confused. Ever read in the press sun is a network equipment maker.

Posted by bbr on February 25, 2005 at 12:17 AM PST #