Sun Microsytems said will it offer free access to its Java server suite and N1 management software and bundle them with its Solaris operating system.
Reaffirming prior statements, Sun said that it intends to open-source its Java and N1 software at a later date. The free software will cover its Java Enterprise System set of server middleware, Java development tools and N1 management software.
The move will create a single package called the Solaris Enterprise System. It will include Sun’s Solaris 10 operating system, PostgreSQL open-source database, the Java Enterprise System server software and tools, Sun N1-branded provisioning and management tools, and Secure Desktop software.
In a statement, Sun president Jonathan Schwartz said that the decision to open-source Java Enterprise System and N1 was a natural next step after the company created an open-source project around Solaris.
“100 (percent) of our customers are deploying web infrastructures and asking for relief from onerous licenses and system integration activity,” Schwartz said.
Sun tipped its hand earlier about its software direction. “Everything that Sun produces will be open source and free,” Schwartz said in a September speech.
Support won’t be free, however. “Customers will come to Sun to purchase the licenses, services and support to take full advantage of the benefits Sun software can offer them,” Sun said in a statement.
Pricing isn’t the only issue the company faces with its software. With some exceptions such as its identity management package, Sun’s server software hasn’t been terribly popular despite a lower cost than rival products from IBM and BEA Systems. One core product, the application server that runs Java programs, was already made available for free.
