Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management
    • Networking
    • Storage

    Sun Combines Server Groups

    Written by

    Jeff Burt
    Published May 15, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Sun Microsystems is merging its SPARC and x86 server groups and is naming a new head of its storage business, the latest in a series of moves that included the naming of Jonathan Schwartz as CEO.

      John Fowler, who had been executive vice president of Suns Network Systems Group—its family of servers powered by Advanced Micro Devices Opteron chip—was named May 15 as executive vice president of the Santa Clara, Calif., companys Systems Group.

      David Yen, formerly executive vice president of Suns SPARC-based Scalable Systems Group, will head the companys storage business as executive vice president of Suns newly named Storage Group.

      Mark Canepa, who had headed Suns Data Management Group—which included its storage projects—has left the company.

      “Amplifying the outstanding performance of our UltraSPARC and x64 systems and the growing momentum behind Suns storage offerings, nows the time to accelerate growth and leverage efficiencies,” Schwartz said in a prepared statement.

      Among those efficiencies is the ability to better streamline the companys supply chain, he said.

      The moves come after a series of hires designed to revamp Suns leadership.

      Along with co-founder Scott McNealy stepping aside as CEO for Schwartz, the company also promoted Chief Technology Officer Greg Papadopoulos to executive vice president of research and development and named ex-Sun executive Rich Greene executive vice president of software.

      In talking with reporters and analysts following his appointment as CEO on April 24, Schwartz said he was undertaking a 90-day review of Suns operations to see how they could be made more efficient.

      The ongoing reorganization comes at a time when Sun is pushing to return to profitability.

      The company April 24 reported that in the previous fiscal quarter it had lost $217 million, but had seen revenues grow 21 percent.

      The company also announced more layoffs April 7, this time about 7 percent of the Scalable Systems Groups workforce.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifTo read more about the layoffs, click here.

      Sun is aggressively expanding its server and storage lines. It has adopted AMDs Opteron chip as the key to gaining traction in the competitive x86 field against such rivals as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM, and while unit growth has been high, those systems still account for a small percentage of Suns overall server business.

      At the same time, the company in last winter launched its UltraSPARC T1 processor, a multicore, energy-efficient chip designed for Web-based transaction workloads.

      The company already is working on two follow-ons to the chip, as well as another SPARC chip with fewer cores code-named “Rock.”

      Sun also is teaming with Fujitsu on a line of more traditional SPARC systems, named the Advanced Product Line, due this year and powered by Fujitsus upcoming dual-core SPARC64 chip.

      Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT Research, said the move to combine the server groups makes sense for Sun, which just now is getting into the x86 space.

      Its better to have a single sales force that can explain the benefits of both server lines, rather than two separate sales groups probably competing for the same business.

      It becomes more important as x86 systems continue finding traction in market segments historically served by higher-end systems, said King, in Hayward, Calif.

      “Five years ago, the use cases and market for x86 [servers] were well-defined,” he said.

      “Today, x86 is being used for the traditional edge-of-network cases as well as high-performance and supercomputing in clusters, and theyre being used in data centers. Its gotten to be a solution with much broader application than it used to have.”

      The storage business is an area where Sun needs some help, King said. They still use products from Hitachi in the high-end, and have yet to convince many of its server customers to adopt Sun storage.

      Yens appointment indicates that Schwartz believes Yen can help invigorate the storage line in the same way he rejuvenated the SPARC business.

      “Theyre hoping Yen can get the storage group kick-started,” King said. “That groups seen a lot of turnover, and theyve seen very little success.”

      Sun on May 2 rolled out a host of new hardware and software offerings, hoping to build on its $4.1 billion acquisition of StorageTek, including a new network-attached storage device and a try-and-buy program for its storage products.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis on servers, switches and networking protocols for the enterprise and small businesses.

      Jeff Burt
      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.