Re: how is IBM i affected by acquisition of Sun?

[Hans Boldt <hans@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Nathan Andelin wrote:
> > From: Hans Boldt
> > The real challenge for IBM will to maintain its street cred in the
> > open source community.
>
> Without competition from SUN, I don't see IBM trying very hard to appeal to the open source community.  It seems that IBM's only real competitor in the "managed code" space (as Mr. Richter likes to call platforms like Java and .Net), would be Microsoft.  I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Microsoft to release a F/OSS version of .Net.  So my prediction would be that Java and related technology would gradually become proprietary.
>
> What used to be "write once, run anywhere", becomes "write once, runs best under Power", then later the fields further polarize to .Net on Intel vs. Java on Power.  At that point, IBM would probably give Java a new name.  IBM is good at new names for legacy products ;-).
>
> Colleges and universities and other open source communities would gravitate to Python or Ruby on Rails.
>
> This is all speculation, of course.  I still have a hard time seeing SUN sellout to "the MAN".  Well, I don't see the majority of people at SUN doing that.  The suits at the top may be another story.
>
> Nathan.

Sun is not IBM's competition. Microsoft is. Since IBM is so dependent on
at least two of Sun's products, if Sun is to be sold, IBM needs to be
sure that it will be sold to someone friendly to IBM's interests. That's
why it makes sense for IBM to buy Sun.

Again, since IBM's main competition right now is Microsoft, and since
F/OSS is a big threat to the MS hegemony, it makes a lot of sense for
IBM to appeal to the open source community. IBM knows that very well. If
they did anything to alienate that community, IBM would be cutting its
own throat.

Cheers! Hans