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Difference between revisions of "Sun Microsystems"
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Creator of the SPARC platform, ZFS, NFS, Java and Solaris. Part of Oracle as of 2010. | Creator of the SPARC platform, ZFS, NFS, Java and Solaris. Part of Oracle as of 2010. | ||
+ | |||
+ | What is the best-kept secret in the technology industry today? Consider a $5.9 billion company located in the heart of Silicon Valley, where free bagels are served up every Wednesday and employees describe their workplace as "fun" and "a place to learn and really make a difference." Where its engineers are as well-known for their April Fool's pranks as for their technical expertise. Consider also that this company outsells its larger competitors in workstations, servers and operating software and is breaking ground as a major force in enterprise-wide computing environments, winning customer giants such as General Motors, Bank of America and Dupont Merck. | ||
+ | |||
+ | With world headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Sun Microsystems, Inc., has been described as a "full service provider that can compete on an equal footing with IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co." (InformationWeek, Feb. 13, 1995). The company was founded in 1982 on the premise that "the network is the computer." This simple, yet revolutionary concept helped change the face of the computer industry and has propelled the company into a thriving $6 billion company. It's no wonder then that this Fortune 244 company continues to impress industry-watchers by reporting consistently good numbers in an industry characterized by red ink and fierce competitors. For fiscal 1995, company revenues were $5.9 billion and have averaged 15-20 percent growth over the last several years. Sun has one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry with nearly $1 billion cash in the bank. It also sells more workstations than anybody else and, according to International Data Corporation, leads the worldwide workstation market with a 32 percent marketshare. While the company's legacy has been as a technical workstation supplier, Sun is successfully transforming itself into an enterprise computing firm focused on global network computing. According to Gartner Group, Sun has "most of the building blocks to be a major competitive threat at all levels of the enterprise...Sun has many of the crown jewels to embark on a new phase of its existence." (March 8, 1995, MCS Research Note) The company is now poised to increase its penetration within the Fortune 1000 as it rolls out its line of UltraSPARC computers and software that helps companies easily manage and link their computer networks. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The secret of Sun's success? Hiring the best people and embracing a set of guiding principles that defy conventional wisdom. At the core of Sun's approach are its beliefs in open systems and network computing. Spearheaded by CEO Scott McNealy, the company's continued passion for "open systems" has been a long battle in the interest of consumers. Non-proprietary or "open" systems use technology interfaces or "blueprints" that can be freely adopted by any manufacturer. This approach encourages multiple, competing implementations, which result in innovation and increased choice for the consumer. With a proprietary or "closed" technology, one company has monopolistic control over that product or technology, is under no pressure to innovate and is free to charge whatever the market will bear. Sun's open computing philosophy revolutionized the computer industry thirteen years ago when it dissolved the model of proprietary computing by offering powerful, less expensive computers using off-the-shelf components. By doing this, Sun launched a new computing paradigm that forced companies to compete on efficiency and innovation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Network computing is the other founding principle that remains at the core of Sun's approach to computing. A favorite Sun phrase, "the network is the computer," helps to describe this model. Sun believes that the vast network and resources that exist beyond a person's own computer is where the true strength of information technology lies. Unlike PCs -- which were built to enhance individual productivity -- workstations incorporate networking into its design core to allow groups of people to collaborate, thereby improving company-wide productivity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | By understanding that network management is the fundamental issue facing customers in the 1990s, Sun is focused on linking and managing enterprise-wide global networks. Through its software, hardware and service offerings, Sun is well positioned for the open, networked world that will dominate the industry over the next 3-5 years. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===The Companies Within Sun=== | ||
+ | Sun Microsystems Computer Company (SMCC) is the network systems business and develops, manufactures, markets and sells the industry's leading family of SPARC-based workstations and servers; it integrates operating system software, network management products and service offerings from other Sun businesses. The company is best known for its high-performance workstations, since it sells more workstations than anybody else. However, its multiprocessing servers have quickly been adopted by businesses, making it the worldwide UNIX multiprocessing server leader with a 22.2 percent unit marketshare (Computer Intelligence InfoCorp 1995). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sun Microelectronics develops, designs and distributes SPARC technologies and products worldwide. The division's portfolio includes microprocessors, chipsets, modules, boards, technology licenses, silicon and system design kits and consulting services. According to IDC, SPARC is the leading RISC microprocessor with a 35 percent marketshare. Sun Microelectronics operates under a fabless semiconductor business model and employs leading edge foundries to manufacture its high-performance SPARC microprocessors. Its microprocessor line includes UltraSPARC, microSPARC II and multiprocessing SuperSPARC II. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SunSoft, Inc., the software subsidiary, is widely recognized for several core network computing products used by corporations for enterprise rightsizing and network computing applications: Solaris, Solstice, SolarNet, WorkShop, Solaris Desktop and objects. The Solaris operating environment is the company's flagship product and is the UNIX industry's highest-volume licensed software environment for enterprise rightsizing, with more than 2 million licenses. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SunService, a key component of Sun's strategy to address the enterprise, is the leading U.S. UNIX workstation service provider with a 34 percent revenue marketshare of this $1.1 billion market, according to IDC. The company provides customers with system support, education, system integration and other value-added services and currently supports more than 500,000 systems worldwide. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SunExpress is Sun's aftermarketing company and one of the fastest growing business units. The company offers convenient access to product information, presales technical assistance, quick delivery and easy ordering of over 3,500 Sun and third-party aftermarket products, including networking hardware and software, peripherals, applications and development tools. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sun Microsystems Laboratories is Sun's advanced research and development lab, which explores future technologies that could help define new trends and shape our industry. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =History= | ||
+ | ===1982: Getting Started=== | ||
+ | * Incorporated in February 1982, with four employees. | ||
+ | * First workstation introduced. It includes TCP/IP, now known as the Internet protocol suite. | ||
+ | ===1983: First Big Break=== | ||
+ | * Sun and Computervision sign a $40 million OEM agreement. | ||
+ | * Operations begin in Europe. | ||
+ | ===1984: The Big Idea=== | ||
+ | * NFS technology introduced and licensed free to the industry. It's destined to become the industry standard for network file sharing. | ||
+ | ===1985: Shining Brighter=== | ||
+ | * "While other companies are still shivering from the sudden cold snap, Sun Microsystems is shining brighter than ever." - Computer Systems News | ||
+ | * Sun opens Canadian operations. | ||
+ | ===1986: Extending the Enterprise=== | ||
+ | * PC-NFS technology introduced. It brings the power of network computing to PC users, and opens a whole new market for Sun. | ||
+ | * Sun has a wildly successful initial public stock offering. | ||
+ | * Sun begins operations in Asia and Australia. | ||
+ | ===1987: Big Business=== | ||
+ | * Sun and AT&T; lay the groundwork for business computing in the next decade with an alliance to develop UNIX(R) System V Release 4. | ||
+ | * Sun takes lead in workstation market. | ||
+ | * Sun connects to Internet. | ||
+ | ===1988: Getting Bigger=== | ||
+ | * Sun reaches $1 billion in revenue -- the fastest rise ever for a computer company with a direct sales force. | ||
+ | * "Words fail to describe how successful Sun has been. For a company to grow at that rate is just incredible." - Robert Herwick, Hambrecht & Quist | ||
+ | ===1989: Welcome to the New World=== | ||
+ | * SPARCstation 1 system introduced. Features are so tightly integrated it fits in a 3- by 16- by 16-inch enclosure--the first "pizza box." | ||
+ | * Sun's expanded alliances with Informix, Ingres, Oracle, and Sybase set the stage for our emergence as the number one database platform. | ||
+ | * Sun opens research and development center in France. | ||
+ | * Sun becomes an executive member of the independent, open standards organization, SPARC International, Inc. | ||
+ | ===1990: Making Power more Affordable=== | ||
+ | * Sun follows up on the success of the SPARCstation 1 with four new models -- including the first workstation for under $5,000. | ||
+ | * Manufacturing plant opens in Scotland. | ||
+ | ===1991: Setting New Standards=== | ||
+ | * Sun's market share in RISC -- the world's fastest, most powerful computing architecture -- hits 63 percent. | ||
+ | * More than half a million systems shipped to date. | ||
+ | * Sun unveils Solaris 2 operating environment, specially tuned for symetric multiprocessing. | ||
+ | * Operations begin in Latin America. | ||
+ | ===1992: Making a Name for Ourselves=== | ||
+ | * Leading the desktop performance race, Sun introduces the SPARCstation 10 system, the first multiprocessing desktop computer. | ||
+ | * Sun's name appears on Standard & Poor's 500. | ||
+ | * Sun ships more multiprocessing UNIX servers in a single year than any other vendor shipped in its history. | ||
+ | ===1993: One Million and Counting=== | ||
+ | * In just over 10 years, Sun reaches an incredible milestone--one million systems shipped. | ||
+ | * Sun makes its debut on the Fortune 500. | ||
+ | * Years of leadership pay off: Sun, IBM, HP, and others unify UNIX system software. | ||
+ | ===1994: Enterprise Computing Comes of Age=== | ||
+ | * Sun stages the Enterprise Computing Summit -- a week-long multimedia event and conference showcasing our network computing expertise. | ||
+ | * Sun's external home page, www.sun.com, goes online. | ||
+ | * As the exclusive computer supplier for the 1994 World Cup, Sun enables hundreds of thousands of soccer fans to tap into the Internet for up-to-the-minute information. | ||
+ | * Revolutionary computerized retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco uses structural analysis with 3-D animation on Sun workstations and servers to dramatically reduce costs while improving public safety. | ||
+ | ===1995: The Java Technology Revolution Begins=== | ||
+ | * Sun introduces the first universal software platform, designed from the ground up for the Internet and corporate intranets. Java technology enables developers to write applications once to run on any computer. | ||
+ | * More than 100 Sun systems are used to render images for Disney's "Toy Story," the first all computer-generated feature film. | ||
+ | * Sun and third-party associates reach another milestone -- 10,000 solutions on the SPARC/Solaris platform. | ||
+ | * Sun offers downloadable try-and-buy software on the Internet. | ||
+ | * SunSolve Online provides technical support via the Internet. | ||
+ | * Sun receives ISO 9001 certification for quality in all major country service organizations, and ISO 9002 certification for all worldwide manufacturing operations. | ||
+ | ===1996: At Home in Cyberspace=== | ||
+ | * To stage "24 Hours in Cyberspace," the largest online event in history, Against All Odds Productions turns to the one company with more Internet and intranet experience than any other: Sun. | ||
+ | * Sun Ultra workstation family introduced. Features the 64-bit UltraSPARC processor with on-chip multimedia, graphics, and imaging technologies. | ||
+ | * Sun licenses Java technology to all major hardware and software companies. | ||
+ | * Sun and the House of Blues deliver interactive entertainment to Olympic spectators in Atlanta and around the world via the Internet. | ||
+ | * Sun engineer Jon Bosak leads World Wide Web Consortium team developing XML. The extensible markup language is destined to become the standard for business data. | ||
+ | ===1997: Reaching New Heights=== | ||
+ | * Using Java technology, NASA engineers develop an interactive application allowing anyone on the Internet to be a "virtual participant" in the space administration's groundbreaking mission to Mars. | ||
+ | * Sun's new server family introduced. Includes the 64-processor Sun Enterprise 10000 server with the processing power of four mainframes. | ||
+ | * Sun becomes the first systems company ever to demonstrate the best TPC-C performance on all four leading database platforms. | ||
+ | * Web-enhanced Solaris environment introduced. With more than 100 enhancements, this release substantially increases the software's Internet performance. | ||
+ | * Sun StorEdge A5000 system introduced. It is the industry's only second-generation fibre-channel disk array. | ||
+ | * Sun becomes the number one supplier of UNIX multiuser disk subsystems. | ||
+ | ===1998: New Generation of Java Technology=== | ||
+ | * Sun redefines storage for the network age with an Intelligent Storage Network architecture that delivers mainframe-class reliability, virtually unlimited expandability, and cross-platform information sharing. | ||
+ | * Say hello to instant networking. Sun's latest breakthrough, Jini technology, enables all kinds of devices to connect to the network--instantly. Just plug it in, and it works. | ||
+ | * Solaris 7 operating environment raises the bar for network software. Advanced 64-bit technology delivers dramatic increases in performance, capacity, and scalability. | ||
+ | * America Online acquires Netscape; Sun and AOL to accelerate the growth of e-commerce and develop next-generation Internet devices in a historic three-year alliance. | ||
+ | * Next generation of Java technology introduced. Java 2 software delivers more speed, more flexibility, and a complete set of foundation classes. | ||
+ | ===1999: Setting Rigorous Standards=== | ||
+ | * SunTone Certification program sets rigorous standards for building a highly reliable, highly scalable service-delivery environment. | ||
+ | * Micro, Standard, and Enterprise Editions of the Java 2 Platform provide the tools to create innovative applications for everything from wireless phones to datacenter servers. | ||
+ | * The Jiro platform shows the way to open storage management. | ||
+ | * Netra t1 servers make their debut -- designed for service providers, by service providers. | ||
+ | * Sun makes StarOffice productivity suite available to all, free of charge. | ||
+ | * Sun Ray 1 enterprise appliances with Hot Desk technology provide an ideal solution for enterprise workgroups. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires Forte, an enterprise software company specializing in integration solutions, to round out its portfolio. | ||
+ | * Sun-Netscape Alliance unveils innovative messaging solutions for service providers, portals, and enterprises. | ||
+ | ===2000: Emphasizing People, Processes, and Programs=== | ||
+ | * Sun's iForce initiative brings together a community of leading consulting firms and best-of-breed technology vendors -- experts in developing and refining Net-based solutions. | ||
+ | * Solaris 8 Operating Environment introduced. The only operating environment that marries datacenter and dot-com requirements. | ||
+ | * Sun's innovative capacity-on-demand program gives customers the ability to instantly respond to unpredictable spikes in network traffic. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires Cobalt Networks. Popular server appliances extend product family. | ||
+ | * Sun Sigma, a company-wide initiative, takes on the most pressing challenge of the Net economy - quality. | ||
+ | * iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun/Netscape Alliance, unveils industry's first full-up business-to-business commerce platform. Includes buying, selling, billing, market making, and trade facilitation software. | ||
+ | * iPlanet unveils industry's first intelligent communications platform. Extensible software platform enables rapid delivery of wireless and wireline services. | ||
+ | ===2001: Nth Ready=== | ||
+ | * With offices in 170 countries, Sun is a $18.25 billion global leader in network computing solutions that "Take it to the nth." | ||
+ | * Sun Open Net Environment, Sun ONE, provides an open software platform to create, assemble, and deploy smart, context-aware Web services. | ||
+ | * Sun's UltraSPARC III processor debuts in Sun Blade 1000 workstations and Sun Fire 280R workgroup servers. | ||
+ | * Sun Fire "midframe" computers introduced. Midrange servers combine mainframe-style capabilities with other enhancements. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires HighGround. Suite of Web-based management solutions support wide range of storage technologies and applications. | ||
+ | * More than 2.5 million programmers are developing innovative Java applications. | ||
+ | * SunTone program now includes 1300 service providers and application providers as members. | ||
+ | * iPlanet delivers first integrated wireless portal server for anytime, anywhere, any device access. | ||
+ | ===2002: We Make the Net Work=== | ||
+ | * Sun introduces N1, the first architecture to treat the network as a computer. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires Pirus Networks, a leader in intelligent storage services. Company's virtualization technology is perfect fit with Sun's N1 architecture. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires Terraspring, a pioneer in infrastructure automation software, further enhancing the N1 architecture. | ||
+ | * Sun LX50 server introduced. New general-purpose systems run Linux or Solaris operating systems, extend product line into 32-bit, x86 market. | ||
+ | * World's largest data warehouse created from Sun-tested framework. | ||
+ | * Sun acquires Afara Websystems, a company that develops next-generation SPARC processor-based technology. | ||
+ | ===2003: Reducing Cost and Complexity=== | ||
+ | * Sun offers innovative per-employee annual subscription licenses for its software. | ||
+ | * Sun partners with AMD to deliver powerful, low-cost 64-bit systems based on the x86 architecture. | ||
+ | * Wireless Java products spur development of mobile data services and devices. | ||
+ | * Sun contributes source code for Sun Grid Engine software to development community. | ||
+ | * More than 1 million students and educators use Sun StarOffice desktop productivity software. | ||
+ | * Acquisition of Pixo adds to the capabilities of the Sun Content Delivery Server. | ||
+ | ===2004: Evolution of the Network Computer=== | ||
+ | * Sun releases high-performance Java Platform 5.0, the most advanced Java platform in five years. | ||
+ | * Sun technology helps create world's largest data warehouse, topping one trillion rows. | ||
+ | * Sun unveils Solaris 10, the most advanced UNIX operating system on the planet. | ||
+ | * Sun Java technology is used in navigation controls for NASA's Mars Rover and in 1.5 billion mobile phones and other devices. | ||
+ | * Sun's Throughput Computing initiative results in dual-core UltraSPARC processors that nearly double system performance. | ||
+ | * Waveset acquisition enhances Sun's identity management capabilities. | ||
+ | * Project Looking Glass, Sun's 3-D desktop interface, enriches users' computing experience. | ||
=Product Lines= | =Product Lines= | ||
+ | ===Overview=== | ||
+ | The Solaris operating environment is the most widely used version of UNIX. Since it runs on SPARC, X86 -- and soon PowerPC -- computers, Solaris allows customers to easily link machines on a network and share information. But more importantly, its ranking as the No. 1 UNIX operating system in the industry equals volume, which attracts a multitude of independent software companies who write the essential software applications. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SunSoft's Project DOE (Distributed Objects Environment) is an advanced networked, object-oriented environment for the Solaris operating system targeted at the commercial enterprise marketplace. The company has released components of DOE and will roll out other components by the end of the year. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Solstice family of network management products is designed to scale and manage a company's large, global networks -- from PCs to mainframes -- regardless of computer vendor. Solstice holds the No. 1 position in the UNIX-based network management market, followed by Hewlett-Packard's OpenView. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since many companies have huge investments in PCs, Sun's SolarNet line of software gives these firms the ability to integrate and manage thousands of PCs on their networks using a single computer. PC users can work in their familiar Microsoft Windows environment and still access applications and data that reside on larger computers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SunSoft's WorkShop is a suite of software development tools crucial for businesses who need to develop object-oriented, mission-critical enterprise applications. WorkShop is available for a number of different hardware platforms so that applications can run seamlessly without regard to vendor platform. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Solaris Desktop tools give corporate users the ability to run Windows and Macintosh applications at their desktop, providing access to the most popular PC applications, along with the power of UNIX. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sun SPARCstation desktops are fast, powerful networked workstations used primarily by business and technical professionals. Unlike PCs, these workstations are designed to be workgroup-oriented and offer built-in networking, rich graphics and multiprocessing capabilities. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sun SPARCserver servers are larger, more powerful computers that "house" shared files and run big applications for networks of desktop computers. The SPARCserver family ranges from the SPARCserver 4 -- a small, inexpensive server for a single department -- to the SPARCcenter 2000, a powerful, mainframe-like server used to manage big networks that are the backbone of corporate information systems. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unveiled in 1994, the 64-bit UltraSPARC is the first processor to deliver the multimedia and data movement requirements of today's and tomorrow's networked systems. It is the industry's only processor with on-chip multimedia support for desktop videoconferencing, real-time MPEG-2 decompression, video effects and texture-mapped triangle rendering. Its high data throughput design enables UltraSPARC to move data at a peak speed of 1.3 GBytes/second. The 5.2 million transistor design is fabricated by Texas Instruments, Inc., at its billion-dollar advanced CMOS fabrication facility in Dallas, Texas. | ||
+ | |||
===SPARCstation=== | ===SPARCstation=== | ||
− | + | Line of SPARC based workstations by Sun Microsystems. | |
+ | |||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 1]] | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 2]] | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 4]] | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 5]] | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 10]] | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation 20]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Ultra=== | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra 1]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra 5]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra 10]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra 1 Creator 3D]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra 10 Elite 3D]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Ultra Enterprise 1]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Other=== | ||
+ | * [[Sun JavaStation]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun 3/50]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun 3/60]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun 3/80]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun SPARCserver 670MP]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Monitors=== | ||
+ | * [[Sun GDM-20E20]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun GDM-1962B]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Peripherals=== | ||
+ | * [[Sun Microsystems 611]] | ||
+ | * [[Sun Microsystems SunCamera II]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | =Advertisements/Promo Items= | ||
+ | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
+ | File:Sunsoftmug.jpg | ||
+ | File:Solarismug.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncdcase.png | ||
+ | File:Sunmug1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunbag.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suntag.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunshirt.png | ||
+ | File:Sunmousepad.jpg | ||
+ | File:405881331 7595388163821972 4708825114188573858 n.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunpen1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunkeyring.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncdcase2.jpg | ||
+ | File:1Sunpen1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunpen2.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunpin.jpg | ||
+ | File:Javashirt.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmug.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmousepad2.jpg | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | =Documentation= | ||
+ | ===Gallery=== | ||
+ | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
+ | File:Sunmanual1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmanual2.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmanual3.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmanual4.jpg | ||
+ | File:Sunmanual5.jpg | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | =CD Gallery= | ||
+ | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
+ | File:Suncd1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd2.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd3.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd4.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd5.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd6.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd7.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd8.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd9.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd10.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd11.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd12.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd13.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd14.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd15.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd16.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd17.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd18.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd19.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suncd20.jpg | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | =Tape Gallery= | ||
+ | <gallery mode="packed"> | ||
+ | File:Suntape1.jpg | ||
+ | File:Suntape2.jpg | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | =See Also= | ||
+ | * [[SPARCstation]] | ||
[[Category:Sun]] | [[Category:Sun]] | ||
+ | [[Category:Companies]] | ||
+ | [[Category:1982]] |
Latest revision as of 14:06, 9 March 2024
Creator of the SPARC platform, ZFS, NFS, Java and Solaris. Part of Oracle as of 2010.
What is the best-kept secret in the technology industry today? Consider a $5.9 billion company located in the heart of Silicon Valley, where free bagels are served up every Wednesday and employees describe their workplace as "fun" and "a place to learn and really make a difference." Where its engineers are as well-known for their April Fool's pranks as for their technical expertise. Consider also that this company outsells its larger competitors in workstations, servers and operating software and is breaking ground as a major force in enterprise-wide computing environments, winning customer giants such as General Motors, Bank of America and Dupont Merck.
With world headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Sun Microsystems, Inc., has been described as a "full service provider that can compete on an equal footing with IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co." (InformationWeek, Feb. 13, 1995). The company was founded in 1982 on the premise that "the network is the computer." This simple, yet revolutionary concept helped change the face of the computer industry and has propelled the company into a thriving $6 billion company. It's no wonder then that this Fortune 244 company continues to impress industry-watchers by reporting consistently good numbers in an industry characterized by red ink and fierce competitors. For fiscal 1995, company revenues were $5.9 billion and have averaged 15-20 percent growth over the last several years. Sun has one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry with nearly $1 billion cash in the bank. It also sells more workstations than anybody else and, according to International Data Corporation, leads the worldwide workstation market with a 32 percent marketshare. While the company's legacy has been as a technical workstation supplier, Sun is successfully transforming itself into an enterprise computing firm focused on global network computing. According to Gartner Group, Sun has "most of the building blocks to be a major competitive threat at all levels of the enterprise...Sun has many of the crown jewels to embark on a new phase of its existence." (March 8, 1995, MCS Research Note) The company is now poised to increase its penetration within the Fortune 1000 as it rolls out its line of UltraSPARC computers and software that helps companies easily manage and link their computer networks.
The secret of Sun's success? Hiring the best people and embracing a set of guiding principles that defy conventional wisdom. At the core of Sun's approach are its beliefs in open systems and network computing. Spearheaded by CEO Scott McNealy, the company's continued passion for "open systems" has been a long battle in the interest of consumers. Non-proprietary or "open" systems use technology interfaces or "blueprints" that can be freely adopted by any manufacturer. This approach encourages multiple, competing implementations, which result in innovation and increased choice for the consumer. With a proprietary or "closed" technology, one company has monopolistic control over that product or technology, is under no pressure to innovate and is free to charge whatever the market will bear. Sun's open computing philosophy revolutionized the computer industry thirteen years ago when it dissolved the model of proprietary computing by offering powerful, less expensive computers using off-the-shelf components. By doing this, Sun launched a new computing paradigm that forced companies to compete on efficiency and innovation.
Network computing is the other founding principle that remains at the core of Sun's approach to computing. A favorite Sun phrase, "the network is the computer," helps to describe this model. Sun believes that the vast network and resources that exist beyond a person's own computer is where the true strength of information technology lies. Unlike PCs -- which were built to enhance individual productivity -- workstations incorporate networking into its design core to allow groups of people to collaborate, thereby improving company-wide productivity.
By understanding that network management is the fundamental issue facing customers in the 1990s, Sun is focused on linking and managing enterprise-wide global networks. Through its software, hardware and service offerings, Sun is well positioned for the open, networked world that will dominate the industry over the next 3-5 years.
The Companies Within Sun
Sun Microsystems Computer Company (SMCC) is the network systems business and develops, manufactures, markets and sells the industry's leading family of SPARC-based workstations and servers; it integrates operating system software, network management products and service offerings from other Sun businesses. The company is best known for its high-performance workstations, since it sells more workstations than anybody else. However, its multiprocessing servers have quickly been adopted by businesses, making it the worldwide UNIX multiprocessing server leader with a 22.2 percent unit marketshare (Computer Intelligence InfoCorp 1995).
Sun Microelectronics develops, designs and distributes SPARC technologies and products worldwide. The division's portfolio includes microprocessors, chipsets, modules, boards, technology licenses, silicon and system design kits and consulting services. According to IDC, SPARC is the leading RISC microprocessor with a 35 percent marketshare. Sun Microelectronics operates under a fabless semiconductor business model and employs leading edge foundries to manufacture its high-performance SPARC microprocessors. Its microprocessor line includes UltraSPARC, microSPARC II and multiprocessing SuperSPARC II.
SunSoft, Inc., the software subsidiary, is widely recognized for several core network computing products used by corporations for enterprise rightsizing and network computing applications: Solaris, Solstice, SolarNet, WorkShop, Solaris Desktop and objects. The Solaris operating environment is the company's flagship product and is the UNIX industry's highest-volume licensed software environment for enterprise rightsizing, with more than 2 million licenses.
SunService, a key component of Sun's strategy to address the enterprise, is the leading U.S. UNIX workstation service provider with a 34 percent revenue marketshare of this $1.1 billion market, according to IDC. The company provides customers with system support, education, system integration and other value-added services and currently supports more than 500,000 systems worldwide.
SunExpress is Sun's aftermarketing company and one of the fastest growing business units. The company offers convenient access to product information, presales technical assistance, quick delivery and easy ordering of over 3,500 Sun and third-party aftermarket products, including networking hardware and software, peripherals, applications and development tools.
Sun Microsystems Laboratories is Sun's advanced research and development lab, which explores future technologies that could help define new trends and shape our industry.
History
1982: Getting Started
- Incorporated in February 1982, with four employees.
- First workstation introduced. It includes TCP/IP, now known as the Internet protocol suite.
1983: First Big Break
- Sun and Computervision sign a $40 million OEM agreement.
- Operations begin in Europe.
1984: The Big Idea
- NFS technology introduced and licensed free to the industry. It's destined to become the industry standard for network file sharing.
1985: Shining Brighter
- "While other companies are still shivering from the sudden cold snap, Sun Microsystems is shining brighter than ever." - Computer Systems News
- Sun opens Canadian operations.
1986: Extending the Enterprise
- PC-NFS technology introduced. It brings the power of network computing to PC users, and opens a whole new market for Sun.
- Sun has a wildly successful initial public stock offering.
- Sun begins operations in Asia and Australia.
1987: Big Business
- Sun and AT&T; lay the groundwork for business computing in the next decade with an alliance to develop UNIX(R) System V Release 4.
- Sun takes lead in workstation market.
- Sun connects to Internet.
1988: Getting Bigger
- Sun reaches $1 billion in revenue -- the fastest rise ever for a computer company with a direct sales force.
- "Words fail to describe how successful Sun has been. For a company to grow at that rate is just incredible." - Robert Herwick, Hambrecht & Quist
1989: Welcome to the New World
- SPARCstation 1 system introduced. Features are so tightly integrated it fits in a 3- by 16- by 16-inch enclosure--the first "pizza box."
- Sun's expanded alliances with Informix, Ingres, Oracle, and Sybase set the stage for our emergence as the number one database platform.
- Sun opens research and development center in France.
- Sun becomes an executive member of the independent, open standards organization, SPARC International, Inc.
1990: Making Power more Affordable
- Sun follows up on the success of the SPARCstation 1 with four new models -- including the first workstation for under $5,000.
- Manufacturing plant opens in Scotland.
1991: Setting New Standards
- Sun's market share in RISC -- the world's fastest, most powerful computing architecture -- hits 63 percent.
- More than half a million systems shipped to date.
- Sun unveils Solaris 2 operating environment, specially tuned for symetric multiprocessing.
- Operations begin in Latin America.
1992: Making a Name for Ourselves
- Leading the desktop performance race, Sun introduces the SPARCstation 10 system, the first multiprocessing desktop computer.
- Sun's name appears on Standard & Poor's 500.
- Sun ships more multiprocessing UNIX servers in a single year than any other vendor shipped in its history.
1993: One Million and Counting
- In just over 10 years, Sun reaches an incredible milestone--one million systems shipped.
- Sun makes its debut on the Fortune 500.
- Years of leadership pay off: Sun, IBM, HP, and others unify UNIX system software.
1994: Enterprise Computing Comes of Age
- Sun stages the Enterprise Computing Summit -- a week-long multimedia event and conference showcasing our network computing expertise.
- Sun's external home page, www.sun.com, goes online.
- As the exclusive computer supplier for the 1994 World Cup, Sun enables hundreds of thousands of soccer fans to tap into the Internet for up-to-the-minute information.
- Revolutionary computerized retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco uses structural analysis with 3-D animation on Sun workstations and servers to dramatically reduce costs while improving public safety.
1995: The Java Technology Revolution Begins
- Sun introduces the first universal software platform, designed from the ground up for the Internet and corporate intranets. Java technology enables developers to write applications once to run on any computer.
- More than 100 Sun systems are used to render images for Disney's "Toy Story," the first all computer-generated feature film.
- Sun and third-party associates reach another milestone -- 10,000 solutions on the SPARC/Solaris platform.
- Sun offers downloadable try-and-buy software on the Internet.
- SunSolve Online provides technical support via the Internet.
- Sun receives ISO 9001 certification for quality in all major country service organizations, and ISO 9002 certification for all worldwide manufacturing operations.
1996: At Home in Cyberspace
- To stage "24 Hours in Cyberspace," the largest online event in history, Against All Odds Productions turns to the one company with more Internet and intranet experience than any other: Sun.
- Sun Ultra workstation family introduced. Features the 64-bit UltraSPARC processor with on-chip multimedia, graphics, and imaging technologies.
- Sun licenses Java technology to all major hardware and software companies.
- Sun and the House of Blues deliver interactive entertainment to Olympic spectators in Atlanta and around the world via the Internet.
- Sun engineer Jon Bosak leads World Wide Web Consortium team developing XML. The extensible markup language is destined to become the standard for business data.
1997: Reaching New Heights
- Using Java technology, NASA engineers develop an interactive application allowing anyone on the Internet to be a "virtual participant" in the space administration's groundbreaking mission to Mars.
- Sun's new server family introduced. Includes the 64-processor Sun Enterprise 10000 server with the processing power of four mainframes.
- Sun becomes the first systems company ever to demonstrate the best TPC-C performance on all four leading database platforms.
- Web-enhanced Solaris environment introduced. With more than 100 enhancements, this release substantially increases the software's Internet performance.
- Sun StorEdge A5000 system introduced. It is the industry's only second-generation fibre-channel disk array.
- Sun becomes the number one supplier of UNIX multiuser disk subsystems.
1998: New Generation of Java Technology
- Sun redefines storage for the network age with an Intelligent Storage Network architecture that delivers mainframe-class reliability, virtually unlimited expandability, and cross-platform information sharing.
- Say hello to instant networking. Sun's latest breakthrough, Jini technology, enables all kinds of devices to connect to the network--instantly. Just plug it in, and it works.
- Solaris 7 operating environment raises the bar for network software. Advanced 64-bit technology delivers dramatic increases in performance, capacity, and scalability.
- America Online acquires Netscape; Sun and AOL to accelerate the growth of e-commerce and develop next-generation Internet devices in a historic three-year alliance.
- Next generation of Java technology introduced. Java 2 software delivers more speed, more flexibility, and a complete set of foundation classes.
1999: Setting Rigorous Standards
- SunTone Certification program sets rigorous standards for building a highly reliable, highly scalable service-delivery environment.
- Micro, Standard, and Enterprise Editions of the Java 2 Platform provide the tools to create innovative applications for everything from wireless phones to datacenter servers.
- The Jiro platform shows the way to open storage management.
- Netra t1 servers make their debut -- designed for service providers, by service providers.
- Sun makes StarOffice productivity suite available to all, free of charge.
- Sun Ray 1 enterprise appliances with Hot Desk technology provide an ideal solution for enterprise workgroups.
- Sun acquires Forte, an enterprise software company specializing in integration solutions, to round out its portfolio.
- Sun-Netscape Alliance unveils innovative messaging solutions for service providers, portals, and enterprises.
2000: Emphasizing People, Processes, and Programs
- Sun's iForce initiative brings together a community of leading consulting firms and best-of-breed technology vendors -- experts in developing and refining Net-based solutions.
- Solaris 8 Operating Environment introduced. The only operating environment that marries datacenter and dot-com requirements.
- Sun's innovative capacity-on-demand program gives customers the ability to instantly respond to unpredictable spikes in network traffic.
- Sun acquires Cobalt Networks. Popular server appliances extend product family.
- Sun Sigma, a company-wide initiative, takes on the most pressing challenge of the Net economy - quality.
- iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun/Netscape Alliance, unveils industry's first full-up business-to-business commerce platform. Includes buying, selling, billing, market making, and trade facilitation software.
- iPlanet unveils industry's first intelligent communications platform. Extensible software platform enables rapid delivery of wireless and wireline services.
2001: Nth Ready
- With offices in 170 countries, Sun is a $18.25 billion global leader in network computing solutions that "Take it to the nth."
- Sun Open Net Environment, Sun ONE, provides an open software platform to create, assemble, and deploy smart, context-aware Web services.
- Sun's UltraSPARC III processor debuts in Sun Blade 1000 workstations and Sun Fire 280R workgroup servers.
- Sun Fire "midframe" computers introduced. Midrange servers combine mainframe-style capabilities with other enhancements.
- Sun acquires HighGround. Suite of Web-based management solutions support wide range of storage technologies and applications.
- More than 2.5 million programmers are developing innovative Java applications.
- SunTone program now includes 1300 service providers and application providers as members.
- iPlanet delivers first integrated wireless portal server for anytime, anywhere, any device access.
2002: We Make the Net Work
- Sun introduces N1, the first architecture to treat the network as a computer.
- Sun acquires Pirus Networks, a leader in intelligent storage services. Company's virtualization technology is perfect fit with Sun's N1 architecture.
- Sun acquires Terraspring, a pioneer in infrastructure automation software, further enhancing the N1 architecture.
- Sun LX50 server introduced. New general-purpose systems run Linux or Solaris operating systems, extend product line into 32-bit, x86 market.
- World's largest data warehouse created from Sun-tested framework.
- Sun acquires Afara Websystems, a company that develops next-generation SPARC processor-based technology.
2003: Reducing Cost and Complexity
- Sun offers innovative per-employee annual subscription licenses for its software.
- Sun partners with AMD to deliver powerful, low-cost 64-bit systems based on the x86 architecture.
- Wireless Java products spur development of mobile data services and devices.
- Sun contributes source code for Sun Grid Engine software to development community.
- More than 1 million students and educators use Sun StarOffice desktop productivity software.
- Acquisition of Pixo adds to the capabilities of the Sun Content Delivery Server.
2004: Evolution of the Network Computer
- Sun releases high-performance Java Platform 5.0, the most advanced Java platform in five years.
- Sun technology helps create world's largest data warehouse, topping one trillion rows.
- Sun unveils Solaris 10, the most advanced UNIX operating system on the planet.
- Sun Java technology is used in navigation controls for NASA's Mars Rover and in 1.5 billion mobile phones and other devices.
- Sun's Throughput Computing initiative results in dual-core UltraSPARC processors that nearly double system performance.
- Waveset acquisition enhances Sun's identity management capabilities.
- Project Looking Glass, Sun's 3-D desktop interface, enriches users' computing experience.
Product Lines
Overview
The Solaris operating environment is the most widely used version of UNIX. Since it runs on SPARC, X86 -- and soon PowerPC -- computers, Solaris allows customers to easily link machines on a network and share information. But more importantly, its ranking as the No. 1 UNIX operating system in the industry equals volume, which attracts a multitude of independent software companies who write the essential software applications.
SunSoft's Project DOE (Distributed Objects Environment) is an advanced networked, object-oriented environment for the Solaris operating system targeted at the commercial enterprise marketplace. The company has released components of DOE and will roll out other components by the end of the year.
The Solstice family of network management products is designed to scale and manage a company's large, global networks -- from PCs to mainframes -- regardless of computer vendor. Solstice holds the No. 1 position in the UNIX-based network management market, followed by Hewlett-Packard's OpenView.
Since many companies have huge investments in PCs, Sun's SolarNet line of software gives these firms the ability to integrate and manage thousands of PCs on their networks using a single computer. PC users can work in their familiar Microsoft Windows environment and still access applications and data that reside on larger computers.
SunSoft's WorkShop is a suite of software development tools crucial for businesses who need to develop object-oriented, mission-critical enterprise applications. WorkShop is available for a number of different hardware platforms so that applications can run seamlessly without regard to vendor platform.
The Solaris Desktop tools give corporate users the ability to run Windows and Macintosh applications at their desktop, providing access to the most popular PC applications, along with the power of UNIX.
Sun SPARCstation desktops are fast, powerful networked workstations used primarily by business and technical professionals. Unlike PCs, these workstations are designed to be workgroup-oriented and offer built-in networking, rich graphics and multiprocessing capabilities.
Sun SPARCserver servers are larger, more powerful computers that "house" shared files and run big applications for networks of desktop computers. The SPARCserver family ranges from the SPARCserver 4 -- a small, inexpensive server for a single department -- to the SPARCcenter 2000, a powerful, mainframe-like server used to manage big networks that are the backbone of corporate information systems.
Unveiled in 1994, the 64-bit UltraSPARC is the first processor to deliver the multimedia and data movement requirements of today's and tomorrow's networked systems. It is the industry's only processor with on-chip multimedia support for desktop videoconferencing, real-time MPEG-2 decompression, video effects and texture-mapped triangle rendering. Its high data throughput design enables UltraSPARC to move data at a peak speed of 1.3 GBytes/second. The 5.2 million transistor design is fabricated by Texas Instruments, Inc., at its billion-dollar advanced CMOS fabrication facility in Dallas, Texas.
SPARCstation
Line of SPARC based workstations by Sun Microsystems.
Ultra
- Sun Ultra 1
- Sun Ultra 5
- Sun Ultra 10
- Sun Ultra 1 Creator 3D
- Sun Ultra 10 Elite 3D
- Sun Ultra Enterprise 1