So, this is the end (or quite so, sometimes miracles happen). After the Borg and the Original Borg, Sun has died to create the New Borg with Oracle.
You don't know how sad I feel at this very moment. I, like most of you, had really believed that Sun's management was working hard because the company was viable. Why so much suffering, so many people fired, so many restructuring, to give all away at last?
Indeed this is a process that has been planned from a long, long, long time ago: the MySQL acquisition was only an excuse to eliminate a long-term threat (as if Sun had eliminated Linux before it became a real threat to Solaris; Oracle learnt from our mistakes). The BEA acquisition was another way to pave the road (Sun couldn't buy BEA without loosing credibility, so they had to do it at that time to now consolidate that mddleware with Sun's portfolio). The IBIS implantation at Sun, a complete Oracle ERP/CRM (Jonathan told you that we betted on a full Oracle solution for our CRM, so, don't say he didn't warned you...).
Well, at last, there are some positive sides: most of our hardware and Solaris employees are safe, because this is what Oracle is after: they want to become the next IBM, so they need such people.
Who are the winners?
-Oracle: With just the cash Larry had in his pocket, he has bought Java and Solaris and all the iron around Sun. And in the software area they have eliminated a formidable competitor that was eroding their efforts in middleware and Identity Management.
-Sun's board: as you already know, the members of the board are going to receive a huge amount of money for treasoning all the 35,000 employees and the uncountable number of Sun's customers.
Who are those that don't win and don't loose?
-Apparently Southeastern is loosing money, as they bought most of their share for more than $12, but they seem happy to have sold their shares by $9.50. I don't understand it...
-Hardware employees from Sun. I mentioned that before. I don't know if this acquisition is good or bad for them, so we'll let it neutral.
-IBM: A new big enemy (ORA), but an old one less (Sun), and an opportunity to increase its market share with angry Sun-Oracle customers. Business as usual.
Who are the loosers?
-Sun's software employees (IdM, Glassfish, MySQL...): Well, you should start searching for a new job... This is that 'Lando Calrissian' moment in the "The Empire Strikes Back" when he warns everybody in the Cloud City (hah, get the point?) that the Empire is there and they have to run for their lives...
-Sun's RIFed employees: Sorry pals, there are no plans to hire you back... some of you weren't saved just by 5 minutes... this is saddest part of this whole thing. The damned board don't realize they are dealing with people, this is not a fucking Monopoly Board Game...!!!
-HP: Guys, you are in a middle of an IBM-Oracle sandwich now... I think you are screwed, with no middleware, HP-UX, a kind of zombie, and just x86 hardware (and printers) to sell. Yes, you have EDS... and you'll end up as just a huge EDS, with a shorter name.
-Dell: Well, the Borg is your only hope now, if HP is not faster than you... You are more than screwed.
-Customers: Choice is over. Oracle is here to squeeze you until your last drop of blood.
-OpenSource: Well, I don't know if this is good or bad, but I don't think Oracle knows what is to give software for free or opensourcing a code... It is as easy as removing all the "community developers" that in fact are Sun's employees, and all those 'open-projects' will just die little by little.
-And me: I won't say this blog is over, but I don't think I'll be coming around so often. I have the same agreement that (real) Scott has, but I'm getting fake dollars instead of real ones, so I stay the same way: poor. This is the main problem of being a fake person. I even had prepared the eventuallity of being acquired by IBM by reserving the 'Fake Palmisano' blog... the fake Larry Ellison was already taken (and abandoned a long, long time ago, as far as I know). I don't know, maybe I'll come back to tell you how is the life of an ex-CEO in Oracle, or how Ashok does in the new company (if he is not fired). Or maybe I'll be here commenting on other marvellous happenings and news.
Well, I'll spend some days sailing, thinking, and, drinking enourmous quantities of bourbon.
God bless you. Good luck!
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5 comments:
Enjoyed reading and periodically commenting on your blog (I'm Fake Anil). Best wishes for the future. If you're actually a Sun employee (as am I), good luck to you as this evolves.
Huh Sun acquired MySQL with $50m total revenue, for $1b.
Ironic to hear that Sun with $13b total annual revenue sold for $7.4b. Here we get to know how the Sun's management is poor in business....
May Sun rest in peace.
ANONYMOUS 2: My DOG could have done a better job than pony boy. I am a SUN Employee...X-IBM and for the last 10 years was always proud that I worked for SUN....Sun was the cowboy, the renegade, the company that had no fear, and did the right thing even if it was not profitable from the onset. Well now I am X-IBM, X-SUN and hopefully new to Oracle. As for our Board and Pony Boy, well i resent the fact that they and he will get a 3X payout. Something seems wrong with running a company into the ground, crapping on the employees and then getting paid a kings reward for doing so....... If I see one more five minute friday with that lizard telling me the this is good for me ...I think i am going to choke on my vomit!
Scooter....I have to believe that you knew when to hold em, and that you knew when to fold em....if this is the best that you could get us, well then I respect that. But damm it just does not sit well. We had one more good fight left in us, and if given the chance I am sure we'd all offrr up to a CEO with some balls ideas to cut costs, and drive more profit. But quite frankly any ceo worth his weight in cash could have driven more profit from SUN.....In the end we all die by the sword.... unfortunately Pony Boy is holding the sword, and he will live on as the man who killed the SUN then used the sword to kill its people, technologies and the spirit of our customers......
And your right...this is not monopoly....its reality....and unfortunately the Board did not have enough balls to vote JS off the Island 2 years ago when he did the stock buy back that drove us from $2/share to $4 per share.....
Oh well may he can go run whats left of GM and Chrysler into the ground!
RIP SUN.....and to all SUN Employees past and present....its been a slice working with you. You are good people, and the best I have ever worked with......
Keep smiling and may the force be with you!
A2
I expect Mr. Pony Tail could be remembered as one of the most unsuccessful people in the IT market.
Thanks Scooter for this blog.
With any luck, that dirtbag Ponytail will never work another day in his life. He's the worst imaginable excuse for a CEO.
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