euro adhoc: Fujitsu Limited
Fujitsu and Sun expand partnership to
grow solaris market & unleash new generation of innovations in the
data center (E)
Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
FUJITSU AND SUN EXPAND PARTNERSHIP TO GROW SOLARIS MARKET &
UNLEASH NEW GENERATION OF INNOVATIONS IN THE DATA CENTERCompanies to Collaborate on Development and Delivery of Future Generation Solaris/SPARC Systems
Santa Clara, Calif. - June 1, 2004 and Tokyo - June 2, 2004 - Sun Microsystems, Inc., (NASDAQ: SUNW) and Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) today announced the expansion of their 20-year strategic relationship to include the joint development and delivery of future generation Solaris and SPARC-based systems. Today's announcement brings together two of the strongest companies in the world to deliver best in class platforms for all possible network computing workloads and grow the market for Solaris and SPARC.
Sun and Fujitsu will bring together their Solaris and SPARC-based server product lines by mid-2006, creating the industry's most complete data center systems family, code named the Advanced Product Line (APL). APL will run the world's leading enterprise-class operating system, Solaris, the Java Enterprise System, and virtually every major enterprise application.
When complete, the APL will replace Sun's and Fujitsu's existing Sun Fire and PRIMEPOWER product lines, respectively. Customers will benefit from safe and seamless binary compatibility along the SPARC roadmap.
During the transition period leading up to the launch of the APL, Sun and Fujitsu will work together to quickly implement arrangements to make each other's current Sun Fire and PRIMEPOWER product lines available for distribution through both companies. These arrangements will vary by geography. The companies and their respective customers will all benefit from the expanded distribution of both companies' existing product lines prior to the introduction of the jointly-developed, next generation products.
"Today's announcement further expands the available market for the Solaris and SPARC family of systems and continues to prove Sun is one of the most highly leveraged technology companies in the world, with partnerships extending across consumers, developers, and now with Fujitsu, well into the mainframe computing environment," said Jonathan Schwartz, president and chief operating officer, Sun Microsystems. "Sun continues to grow the broadest operating platforms on earth, spanning Java and the Java Enterprise System, the Solaris operating environment running industry standard x86 servers, up into the mainframe environment, and a newly expanded SPARC family, providing the highest performance computing infrastructure for the largest diversity of network workloads. Sun and Fujitsu couldn't be better positioned to drive share in the growing market for network computing."
"Fujitsu's leading-edge semiconductor technology and expertise in developing high-performance, high-reliability processors for world-class mainframe and supercomputer systems, together with Sun's Solaris, Java and other industry-leading technology strengths, represent a powerful combination for enterprise customers," remarked Hiroaki Kurokawa, president of Fujitsu Limited. "I'm confident that our enhanced partnership will enable us to provide customers with optimal server products that deliver maximum business value."
One Focus, One Family, All Workloads
Today's announcement brings together Sun's competence and expertise in the Internet, and network computing, with Fujitsu's expertise in mission-critical computing. It redoubles the industry's investment in Solaris and SPARC, and ensures systems will be available to cover every possible workload - both in the rapidly evolving throughput computing marketplace, as well as the requirement for mainframe scale and quality in traditional computing.
Expanded Reach For World's Most Popular UNIX, Solaris
"This is not only good for Sun and Fujitsu who are essentially doubling the number of 'feet on the street' globally, but their customers, partners and investors will also benefit tremendously from this alliance," said Vernon Turner, Group Vice President, Global Enterprise Server Solutions, IDC. "It means a protected investment, a clear product roadmap, high-quality and choice, and a great potential to grow marketshare."
The enhanced partnership will also result in strengthened systems integration capability and channels for Solaris and SPARC systems. This will create increased opportunities for the combined companies' thousands of integrated software vendors (ISVs) and resellers by broadening the market for Solaris.
Sun and Fujitsu will also build on their combined strength across virtually all global markets to ensure customers receive industry-leading service and support. The companies will also optimize their distribution channels and leverage each other's manufacturing facilities and Sun's established relationship with third party manufacturers.
Today's announcement marks a historic milestone in SPARC's two-decade history, marked by the "openness" that was the fundamental principle behind the formation of SPARC International in 1989. Openness of the processor architecture allowed Sun and Fujitsu to collaborate on defining the architecture and compete on implementations. Both the UltraSPARC and the SPARC64 implementations are based on the open SPARC V9 Instruction Set Architecture, and it is the "openness" of the architecture that has made this alliance possible.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting technologies, highly reliable computing and communications platforms, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that open up infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.7 trillion yen (US$45 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - "The Network Is The ComputerTM" - has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Network. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Sun and Fujitsu and Sun expanding their relationship to grow the Solaris market and unleash a new generation of innovations in the data center and to include joint development and delivery of future generation Solaris and SPARC-based systems, bringing together two of the strongest companies in the world to deliver best in class platforms for all possible network computing workloads and grow the market for Solaris and SPARC, Sun and Fujitsu bringing together their Solaris and SPARC-based server product lines by mid-2006, creating the industry's most complete data center systems family, code named the Advanced Product Line (APL) to run the world's leading enterprise-class operating system, Solaris, the Java Enterprise System, and virtually every major enterprise application, APL replacing Sun and Fujitsu's Sun Fire and PRIMEPOWER product lines, respectively, customers benefitting from safe and seamless binary compatibility along the SPARC roadmap, Sun and Fujitsu working together to quickly implement arrangements to make each company's products available for distribution by the other company, the companies and their respective customers benefitting from the expanded distribution, the announcement further expanding the available market for the Solaris and SPARC family of systems and continuing to prove Sun is one of the most highly leveraged technology companies in the world, Sun continuing to grow the broadest operating platforms on earth, Sun and Fujitsu being positioned to drive share in the growing market for network computing, the enhanced partnership enabling the companies to provide customers with optimal server products that deliver maximum business value, the announcement redoubling the industry's investment in Solaris and SPARC, and ensuring systems will be available to cover every possible workload, customers, partners and investors benefitting tremendously from this alliance, the enhanced partnership resulting in systems integration capability and channels for Solaris and SPARC systems, creating increased opportunities for the combined companies' thousands of integrated software vendors (ISVs) and resellers, Sun and Fujitsu building on their combined strength across virtually all global markets to ensure customers receive industry-leading service and support, and the companies optimizing their distribution channels and leveraging each other's manufacturing facilities and Sun's established relationship with third party manufacturers. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those predicted in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to differ include risks associated with developing, designing, manufacturing and distributing new products and services, pricing pressures, lack of customer acceptance of Sun's and Fujitsu's new products and services, lack of success in technological advancements, and risks associated with working with an external third party on the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of APL and other products and services. Please also refer to Sun's periodic reports that are filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003 and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2003, December 28, 2003 and March 28, 2004.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchangeend of announcement euro adhoc 02.06.2004
Further inquiry note:
Kasey Holman
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(650) 786-3411
kasey.holman@sun.com
Carrie Motamedi
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(650) 786-0171
carrie.motamedi@sun.com
Fujitsu Limited
Global PR
Public & Investor Relations
Inquiries: http://www.fujitsu.com/news/contacts/index.html
Branche: Hardware
ISIN: JP3818000006
WKN: 0354912
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