Rockin' Robin: Robin Goldfarb Wilensky's Weblog

This is the same old story we've been hearing for years. We like you but "You're just too expensive!". Come on - that is old news. You've already learned that we are not proprietary and now you'll learn why we are cost effective too. I'll give you a hint - it has something to do with not being proprietary!

Web infrastructure is our bread and butter. Sure, we still do the high end stuff for applications that need it but Web 2.0 is where it's at and we've got the most cost effective solutions for you! Let's start with your basic Linux vs. Solaris discussion and then get into Web Infrastructure.

Example #1: It's not just about acquisition. A study by Crimson Consulting Group highlights why Solaris is actually more cost effective then Linux. When doing a cost analysis, you must compare all costs including acquisition, support, implementation and administration. Solaris comes out ahead and this paper isn't even looking at OpenSolaris!

Example #2: SWaP it!. Ok, ok, so you might think that the above study was sponsored by Sun and may be slightly biased. Maybe. But, here's one by Paul Murphy, a unix author, on his own blog site. Oh, and did we forget to mention the SWaP metric above. Yes, aside from all the hard costs listed in the study, SWaP (Space, Watts and Power) was left off. Paul explains why this impacts the cost of Solaris (for the better!) and that's on Sparc.

Example #3: OpenSolaris. Speaking of OpenSolaris, here's a quick article that talks about why OpenSolaris has a leg over Linux...

Example #4: Solaris x86 - right in the mix. Speaking of Linux and x86 platforms, Solaris is right there in the mix. You might think we are the old pricey OS company but we're not. We just price competitive with your other choices. Linux, Windows, etc...

Example #5: Stuff from Sun Ok, I must include a few links from Sun because I really want to impress upon that once you've accepted that the costs can be the same or lower than Linux, you must also include the benefits of using Solaris over Linux for your web infrastructure. It is our hope that that will help tip the scale towards Sun.

• Sun for Web Infrastructure talks about why use Solaris 10 for your web infrastructure.
  
• SAMPand More SAMP This Webstack includes Apache, MySQL and PHP (among other tools) for OpenSolaris. Check it out!
  
• By the way, did you know we just acquired MySQL for a whopping $1B! See deal and product details at Sun's MySQL Acquisition.
  
• Lastly, Sun is committed to helping startups get off the ground with highly discounting pricing and free stuff. Sun Startup Essentials offers deep discounts on hardware, storage and hosting, as well as free software and services!
  

I hope that this gives you a good unbiased sampling of why Solaris is less costly than Linux for Web Infrastructures! Enjoy!!

-Robin

So you say Sun's web solutions are proprietary! HA! First of all, I would argue that Sun's web solutions have NEVER been proprietary since they've always been based on open standards like LDAP, HTML, IMAP, SMTP, etc... But, that's old news.

Here's the new news. Sun is back in full force and kicking in the Web 2.0 doors at startups and traditional customers alike. Of course, it's easy for me to say as a Sun employee but you want proof!

So, I'm going to focus on gaming and education - a strong interest of mine - and gaining lots of momentum....

Project Darkstar - A Gaming Server (All OPEN SOURCE)
Project Wonderland - The client-side Virtual World (ALL OPEN SOURCE)

Example #1: Media Grid's Immersive Education Initiative. The Immersive Education Initiative is an international collaboration of universities, colleges, research institutes, consortia and companies that are working together to define and develop open standards, best practices, platforms, and communities of support for virtual reality and game-based learning and training systems.

Example #2: Virtual Worlds in the Corporate World. Here Sun is listed with all the other big guys though you have to wait until page 5 to see it. One section states: "Sun Microsystems, meanwhile, is developing MPK20, a virtual world extension to its 19-building facility in Menlo Park, Calif. According to Nicole Yankelovich, principal investigator of the collaborative environments group, at any given time more than half of Sun's employees work remotely (which Sun encourages because it reduces the need for office space and has environmental benefits). Virtual worlds are a compelling alternative to the boring old audio conference. "We need a way to bring everyone together and get some informal brainstorming going," she says." More info can be found at CIO Magazine.

Example #3: Digital Native Blog. Just an example of people outside of Sun who are starting to blog about this. There are tons of others like this.

Example #4: MiRTLE.
A project at the University of Essex to provide a mixed reality environment for a combination of local and remote students in a traditional instructive higher education setting.

Example #5: Stuff from Sun Up until now, I've been very careful not to include any examples that came from Sun bloggers since I know you will think that is skewed. But, I would be remiss if I did not at least point you to Sun blogs on the subject. Blogs about Darkstar & Blogs about Wonderland. I must also give you this link to Sun in Education. Lastly, and a personal favorite of mine: Ways that Sun is "eating our own dog food" and utilizing our OPEN SOURCE gaming technologies to foster learning environments that reach the needs of our newest employees - employees who are digital natives. Meet Karie Willyerd, our CLO (Chief Learning Officer).

I hope that this gives you a good unbiased sampling of why Sun's Web Solutions are NOT Proprietary! Enjoy!!

-Robin