Sun Strikes Linux Desktop Deal With United Kingdom

Sun Microsystems's software strategy appeared to pick up more steam Monday when the company unveiled an agreement with the U.K. government to distribute its Java enterprise software and Linux-based desktop operating system.

Under the terms of the deal, the purchasing body of the United Kingdom, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), may use Sun's Java Enterprise System (JES) and the Java Desktop System (JDS) as infrastructure and desktop software for the country's public sector, according to a Sun spokesperson.

The OGC, part of HM Treasury and the central purchasing body for the U.K.

Government, has not officially agreed to sell Sun's software to the public sector, but instead will evaluate it as one of several viable solutions, according to a press statement by the group. The OGC will run proof of concepts using JES and JDS to see if the ROI associated with Sun's software provides a valid case for further implementation in the U.K. public sector.

Sun's new strategic alliance comes on the heels of the inking of a contract between the vendor and a Chinese software consortium to distribute JDS to citizens of China.

Under the terms of that deal, the China Standard Software Company (CSSC), a group of government-supported IT companies formed to deliver a standard, Linux-based desktop system for China, selected Sun as its preferred technology partner to help provide a nationwide standard desktop software system to the people of China.

Sun Executive Vice President Of Software Jonathan Schwartz said Sun stands to make a profit from the Chinese deal because the consortium is paying Sun for the intellectual property and products Sun delivers to the group. However, Sun has yet to show evidence of its claim that the Chinese government will install approximately 500,000 to 1 million seats per year starting at the end of this year.

Sun executives have admitted Sun has a better chance of selling its JDS overseas, particularly to underdeveloped countries, because the dependence on Microsoft Windows is less prevalent outside of North America.

JES is a bundle of Java-based software, including application server, portal and identity management server, for a yearly subscription price of $100 per employee.

The Java Desktop System (JDS) is an Linux-based desktop OS comprised of open-source components such as the Mozilla browser and Star Office workforce productivity suite. JDS is priced at $100 per desktop, per year, or $50 per desktop, per year, if purchased with the JES.

JDS is scheduled to ship this week, with JES to ship in January, according to Sun executives.