Podcast with Syd Williams of Lyceum Associates

Just recorded this podcast with Syd Williams of Lyceum Associates

"Openness in Software"

Duration: 20 minutes (It takes a few moments to load)

Topics:

[1] With all the recent news on software openness, how are Microsoft and Google positioning themselves?
[2] To what extent is Microsoft playing catch-up?
[3] Does Microsoft suffer from brand deficiency, and is this affecting its bid for Yahoo!?
[4] How will worsening economic conditions affect IT spending? Which companies might benefit?

Dear Sun, Please Shut Up

One of my favorite movies of all time is Office Space. In particular I think John McGinley is brilliant as one of the two Bob consultants. One of my favorite lines of his is when he's interviewing Michael Bolton (David Herman) and says "I am. I'm a Michael Bolton fan!"

I'm that way about Sun - I'm a Sun fan. I think they have done so much great stuff over the last few years in terms of open source. They are a totally remade company, and it's really awesome.

But I have to say, it's getting pretty damned annoying and depressing that some of their top dudes (and yes, they are all dudes) frequently let the downright dumbest things leave their lips. I blogged about an earlier instance of this that occurred during their analyst call right after they announced plans to acquire MySQL. At least Schwartz and Green did better on the do-over call that followed the official closing of the MySQL deal, which took place just 6 weeks later (well done!).

Now, it seems, their VP of Java Marketing has caught the disease, splurting out in geeky exuberation that he just can't wait to port JVM to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. Problem is, as I read in el reg, there's this little thing called the Apple End User License Agreement that explicitly forbids it.

As the article makes painfully clear, it would be one thing if Klien had said something innocuous like "we would love to take advantage of the newly-released SDK to port JVM to these innovative devices," or something like that. But, oh nooo. Instead, he dove head first into the pile of manure, saying that he and his team (any of them still have a job, I wonder?) had spent the past 24 hours "furiously looking through" the Apple documentation. This caused el reg to wonder out loud if any of them can read (LMAO).

Walks like a trend, talks like a trend, must be a trend. Sun, if not for your own sake, then for the sake of those of us who are rooting and sticking up for you, please put some stricter corporate marketing/communications policies in place.

Sun Buys MySQL, Reaffirming Commitment to Open Source

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Sun is serious about Open Source, and it's a damned good thing!!

But I have to say that it's a shame this IR audiocast with Schwartz, Green and Mickos about the deal so royally flunked the Straight-talk test. Where in the hell is Sun's corporate marketing?

I tuned in late, just in time to hear the third from the last questions, which was something like: What does this mean to Sun's relationships with PosgresQL and Oracle?

Schwartz - we believe in PostgresQL so much that we spent a billion dollars on MySQL - HUH?

To clarify, Green added that open source is all about customer choice, and we're not choosing...WHAT?

I plan to listen to the rest once the replay is available and will add to this post as appropriate.

Sun xVM

I like Sun so much right now I'm thinking of writing a song. OK, never mind. I won't punish you with my lyrical inability. But this is really cool. If there was any doubt in your mind whether Sun is serious about open source, this announcement should clear that up.

Let's go down the list of the hottest technology and where Sun stands on it:

• OS - Open Source
• Middleware - Open Source
• Systems Management - Open Source
• Virtualization - Open Source
• File System - Open Source

Yeah boyeeeeeee!!

Update - Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 2:39 PM

Check out the eWeek article about Sun's interaction with the OpenDS project. This is really interesting, and maybe I should temper my enthusiasm for Sun's Open Source announcements. Truth be told, my own experience kind of validates the sentiment expressed in the eWeek article that Sun tends to keep an iron grip on project control. The day I saw Sun's xVM announcement, I expressed interest in becoming a member of the project team on the wiki - that was like 2-3 weeks ago - still haven't received a reply.

Update - Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 2:40 PM

OK - this is just too wierd. Guess who I just got an email from? webmaster@dev.java.net
saying: "You (gtewallace) earlier requested the Content Developer role in the openxvm project. Congratulations! The role has been granted."

yummmmmy - this sneaker is tasty!!

HP Opens Wide for Wares, Part 2 - Neoware

When I saw that HP was acquiring Neoware, I wasn't too surprised, but I also wasn't aware of all the history, either. I knew Neoware was a leading thin client maker, I think number 2 or 3 with such others as Wyse (private), HP, Sun and iGel (private). What I didn't know was that Neoware used to be part of IBM, then they got out of that business. So, in addition to getting the Neoware technology, HP also picks up some formerly true blue accounts.

I wasn't surprised by HP's decision to buy Neoware because I have been saying for some time that Sun was about ten years too early in pronouncing that the Network is the Computer. From the time they made this announcement, it's taken a few things to actually make it become reality, namely ubiquitous broadband, SaaS, Internet APIs, open source, and the continued decrease in the relative price of processing power and storage. Now that each of these things has taken hold, computer users find ourselves in the situation of actually not needing an expensive computer for a great many tasks.

I'm not sure if it was Stephen O'Grady or David Berlind who said it first, but whoever it was, they said it well when they said that more and more, they live in their browser. Meaning, increasingly, the applications they use, such as word processing, blogging, email, research on the Internet, etc., they access via their web browser. I couldn't agree more. Developments like Google Apps and Gears make this all the more true and all the more accessible to more and more people.

Seeing this, HP was smart to jump on Neoware to position themselves as the leading provider of a broad line of Windows and Linux-based thin client solutions.

But I also think that, prior to HP's Neoware buy, broad enterprise adoption of thin clients faced one major obstacle - namely mindshare and marketshare with VARs. Without this, it seems to me, the road to wide scale enterprise adoption of thin clients would be long and slow. HP is very strong in the channel, and will have the capacity to fit their new Neowares right into their VAR go-to-market. Whether they will successfully execute on this is another question. Clearly, the more businesses spend on thin clients, the less they will spend on Pavilions and Presarios, so I would be very surprised if there isn't some internal product group jockeying going on.

I've seen first hand how this sort of political infighting can really screw up a vendor as they try to broaden their channel product line. It's non-trivial. To the extent they do this poorly, I would look for pure-play thin client makers like Wyse and iGel, and also Sun, which isn't a pure play but does have a strong thin client line up, to capitalize. Unfortunately for investors, there aren't any publicly-traded pure play's left. Sun would be the closest, but their Sunray line represents a small percent of the company's business.