“Sun Microsystems Inc.’s strategy to offer free office
productivity applications over the Web builds on the company’s
effort to promote user interest in hosted Internet
applications.”
“Sun is also making Star’s current desktop suite available for
free download at www.sun.com/staroffice. StarOffice’s desktop
software runs on Windows, Solaris, OS/2 and the Linux operating
system and is being targeted as a competitor to Microsoft Corp.’s
Office suite.
Sun is trying to sign up Internet service providers and
application hosting services to offer StarPortal applications.
AT&T, for instance, plans to offer StarPortal as
part of its services to business customers when the suite
becomes available. Similarly, application hosting service Digex
Inc. is expected to offer StarPortal as part of its suite.
Sun will also try to get hardware vendors to bundle the software
with their systems.”