Sun Exploits Worm Attack

Solution providers, however, said that unless there is a good business case for software migration, existing Windows customers won't flock to Mad Hatter, a largely open-source desktop operating system that Sun is positioning as an alternative to Windows.

Jim Guinn, national practice director at Houston-based solution provider Consultants' Choice, said it isn't cost-effective for customers to replace current Windows systems unless their license is up for renewal or they face a scenario that calls for switching to new software.

But when software and critical business applications become more Web-enabled, a system like Mad Hatter "will be a more cost-effective alternative because you don't need the license sitting on the desktop," Guinn said.

The possibility of lackluster initial adoption for Mad Hatter didn't stop Sun from slinging mud at Microsoft. In a statement last week suggesting that customers switch to Mad Hatter because it's more secure, Sun Executive Vice President of Software Jonathan Schwartz called the industry's reliance on Windows "an Achilles heel in the safety and security of the world's network infrastructure."

Mad Hatter comprises Java card authentication, the StarOffice user-productivity suite, the Mozilla browser, the GNOME interface and the Evolution e-mail and calendar application. Pricing is slated to be $50 to $100 per desktop per year, although Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sun said it will also offer a perpetual license option.

Sun recently delayed the release until the fall. The suite is expected to be launched Sept. 16 at the Sun Network show in San Francisco.