"Open Storage has been one of Sun's bright spots, with
sales growing 21 percent in the fourth quarter. But with IBM
looming as a potential suitor, as the Wall Street Journal reported
today, what could a merger mean for Sun's Open Storage efforts
— and its storage business in general?
""If IBM were to buy all of Sun, I highly doubt that IBM would
pursue the Open Storage strategy, as IBM takes a more capitalistic
approach to technology by charging for the value it brings to
customers," said Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Brian
Babineau.
"But Illuminata analyst John Webster said IBM could see value in
Sun's open source strategy. "Sun's Open Storage would be a positive
addition to IBM's disk portfolio," he said."