eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
BURLINGTON, Mass.—Sun Microsystems Inc. and Deloitte Consulting are offering enterprises looking to consolidate their IT infrastructures integrated services that bring together both business process and implementation help.
Speaking at an event on Suns campus here on Wednesday, officials from both companies—which already had an existing partnership—said they found that customers were looking for a single face when seeking consulting help on their consolidation projects.
In response, Sun and Deloitte have merged much of their offerings, from methodologies, employees to rates and marketing tool kits. The companies also collaborate on reference architectures and engagement models.
“This is a marriage,” said Robert Frazzini, global leader of technology integration at Deloitte. “What it really is, in the field, is that we took two teams and put them together. … Its a joint team, joint goals, with a joint sales and marketing force.”
Deloitte, through its RightSize program, offers enterprises a business-level approach to IT consolidation, helping companies map out their best options. Sun focuses more on the implementation of consolidation plans, said Ken Won, director of Suns Datacenter Program and channel development.
Gordon Haff, an analyst with Illuminata Inc., said the tighter integration with Deloitte is a good move for Sun.
“One of the pieces that Sun has been missing is that high business level consulting capability,” Haff said. “With IT becoming more of a business operation … this makes sense.”
Page 2
It also is an indication that Sun is following its previously stated game plan of partnering with third parties to offer such services as business process consulting rather than trying to grow it on its own.
Wong agreed, saying that Suns plan is to offer customers a best-of-breed approach, whether that is homegrown or from partners.
Susan Sparks, director of corporate information systems for the Province of Nova Scotia, said the Deloitte offering was a good move by Sun.
“I think the approach with Deloitte is the right approach,” said Sparks, who over the past year has consolidated provinces SAP R/3 applications on Sun servers, moving them from 12 servers from Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. “Focus on what you do, and do what you do well.”
Sparks said she knew what she wanted when shopping for a vendor on which to consolidate. What she wanted was help implementing the systems and training her people on them, and Sun gave her that.
“We told them that we wanted to be self-sufficient when they left, and we were,” she said. “We needed strong services, and thats what we got.”