Sun: Software Is King

iPlanet Sun Microsystems

Since iPlanet has ceased to exist as a software company, Sun is committed to helping former iPlanet partners transition to becoming iForce partners, said executives during Monday morning's general session.

"Forget what you know about iPlanet because it's becoming a completely new enterprise," said Bob Lamvick, iPlanet's vice president of field operations for the Americas.

IPlanet began as an alliance between Sun and then-Netscape/AOL (now AOL Time Warner) on March 17, 1998. Last month, on the three-year anniversary of the alliance, Sun officially took the reins of the middleware vendor and iPlanet became a division of Sun.

At the partner event, Sun is enabling iPlanet partners to join the Sun iForce partner program and take advantage of co-marketing and co-selling agreements with Sun, executives said.

Lamvick said Sun has been working since the middle of last year to ensure that the transition is smooth. Some efforts Sun has made are to align iPlanet and Sun sales teams, engage in marketing to clarify for customers the role iPlanet software plays in Sun ONE, and conduct competitive market research to figure out how to position iPlanet products in the middleware space, said Lamvick.

Mark Tolliver, the executive vice president and general manager of Sun Microsystems who has been leading iPlanet, admitted that there has been confusion about iPlanet since its inception as the Sun-AOL Time Warner alliance in 1998.

"It's been challenging from the point of, 'What is this thing? Where are we going with this [company?' " said Tolliver. "It is incredibly focusing to be able to answer this question."

Ultimately, iPlanet was about "Sun deciding that it needed to go up that ladder of architecture value" and have a solid Java-based software and middleware strategy, he said.

"If you talk to people that are calling the shots, their brains are focused on, 'What is the software architecture we need to create services on the Web?' " said Tolliver.

In essence, Tolliver said Sun has, with iPlanet, reinvented itself as a software vendor. "We knew that had to be the next phase of evolution of Sun," he said. As a part of strategy, Sun is rebranding its iPlanet products, as well as its Solaris Unix operating environment and Forte tools, under the Sun ONE name.

"We've heard from analysts and people [in the industry that we have too many brands," said Tolliver. "This is going to send a message that this [Sun ONE initiative is core to what we're about."

Tolliver told iPlanet partners there are two key opportunities for them now that Sun has taken over iPlanet and the product line. The first is increased value and revenue opportunity, because the Sun name gives the iPlanet line added credibility in customer accounts. The second is the chance to provide additional services around the entire Sun ONE architecture as opposed to just iPlanet middleware products.

"Our company is committed to [moving forward, and we look forward to getting there with you," said Tolliver.

One solution provider attending the conference said Sun's new message should alleviate confusion over how iPlanet fits into Sun ONE, and what the platform is in general.

"We're still trying to work out [what Sun ONE is to customers, and we're slowly doing that right now," said Tom Radojicic, solutions engineer at Chicago-based Information Architects.

He added that Sun has been proactive in ensuring that his company partners successfully with Sun.

"Sun's been a good partner. They've taken us under their wing," said Radojicic. "They've gotten a lot of customers for us and vice versa."