Browse > Home / Blog / Blog article: Eclipse at Sun

Eclipse at Sun

January 19, 2007

UPDATE: Matt is talking about Sun’s Startup Essentials Program. We gave up on Sun in April of 2006. Looks like Matt is giving up on them now.

http://eclipse.astronomie.info/1999-08-11/Bernd/eclipse-5exposures.jpgI met Simon Phipps’s from Sun at SXSW and we talked about getting SimpleTicket to run on their new Sun Fire T2000 server (it only runs on Linux now). I had requested a free server after reading Jonathan’s blog describing the free server program. I filled out the online request form found here. I had not heard anything for a long time and mentioned this to Simon. Finally, I got a call from Sun’s customer service department to explain why we would not be getting a server to test. Evidently I clicked a radio button on the signup page indicating our application was not running on Solaris 10 - this automatically causes you to be rejected from the program.

I explained to the customer service person that we wanted to see if we could port it to Solaris 10 - i.e. that was why we were going to test the Sun Fire T2000. (thinking in my head duh…) She told me I would need to resubmit my application and this time indicate that we were currently running SimpleTicket on Solaris to get the server. I told her that I did not want to start the process over again, couldn’t she just explain the issue and push my order through? Evidently she cannot.

My point? Sun has a great idea to get guys like me to get our people to play with Solaris - i.e. free server. I am willing to make my IT guys give it a shot, but Sun’s own customer service department spends the time and money to call me to tell me why they are not sending the servers. If you are going to call everyone who has requested a server and tell them they cannot have it, go ahead and give the people calling the power to fix errors or misunderstandings and fullfill the orders. I know Simon and Jonathan want me to have the server - I also know that other folks within Sun do not. Seems like the other side is winning.

Written by Alexander Muse · Filed Under Blog 

Comments

11 Responses to “Eclipse at Sun”

  1. Simon Phipps Says:
    April 5th, 2006 at 8:57 am

    I’ve looked into this and I think there’s a simple misunderstanding involved on our side - someone should be contacting you again, if they don’t then e-mail me :-)

  2. Mike Jackson Says:
    April 5th, 2006 at 8:57 pm

    For what it’s worth, you can get solaris x86 from sun without (much/any) hassle and load it up on a Dell or similar PC workstation for a low-friction way to give solaris a spin. It won’t perform nearly as well as their (very shiny) new kit, but for simple compatibility testing it’s an option. Installation is much more reasonable now than in the past, 10 in particular is much improved. With respect to cost, the sysadmin time is going to be similar either way, and you’ve probably got the equipment already somewhere for the solx86 route.

  3. Mark Says:
    January 19th, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    I’m sorry, but if you expect Sun to loan you a $15,000 server to just “play with Solaris”, you are not living the the real world.

    It was your responsibility, as a SimpleTicket customer to determine if the application was available for Solaris by contacting the ISV. As it was not, it was your responsibility, as a SimpleTicket customer, to request a port from Architel.

    Certainly, Sun, as an OS vendor, has a responsibility to support ISVs. However, in this case, it makes far more sense to loan a free server to Architel rather than you.

    Alternativly, as SimpleTix is an open source program, why don’t you look at either porting it yourself, or working within that community to get a port done? If your plan was to port software, rather than “play with Solaris” you would have a much better case for the loan of a $15,000 computer.

    You clearly just want turnkey solutions. As such, you will limit yourself to what is available. You cannot have your cake and eat it to in this world. Choices of ISV applications necessarily limit the OS and hardware options available. The reverse is also true.

  4. Alexander Muse Says:
    January 19th, 2007 at 2:26 pm

    Mark - I didn’t expect Sun to loan us a server, they offered it. We were simply honest and indicated that our application did not currently run on Solaris when talking to the CSR. The reason for the loan was primarily to facilitate a potential port.

    I think the confusion lies in the fact that we are part of the same company - i.e. Architel, SimpleTicket and Big in Japan are under the same corporate umbrella. You assume that we were simply a SimpleTicket user, instead of the developers of SimpleTicket…

  5. Texas Startup Blog: Web 2.0 and Social Media » Blog Archive » Sun Apologizes . . . Says:
    January 21st, 2007 at 3:37 pm

    [...] Last week I blogged about Matt’s comments and reprinted an earlier post I wrote titled, "Eclipse at Sun."  Turns out Jonathan, the CEO of Sun, apologized to Matt in his own blog on Friday in a post titled, "Courage is Relative." (Originally titled "Good, Bad and Brave"  He wrote: And before you send me the email, yes, I saw the entry written by Matt Mullenweg - and all I can say is… I’m really sorry, Matt. That’s not the way Startup Essentials is supposed to work. We screwed up, and you’re completely right to suggest if that’s the norm, we should kiss goodbye our aspirations of reestablishing our business in the startup community. If there’s anything I can do to win a second chance, I’d like to know. I appreciate your first sentence. [...]

  6. beth&&ben&&billy&&luke Says:
    June 21st, 2007 at 8:08 am

    Sun sucks!

  7. vigrx plus Says:
    October 11th, 2007 at 1:16 pm

    Sun servers are simply too expensive. Why not try SuperMicro?

  8. viagra Says:
    November 17th, 2007 at 1:27 pm

    Sun Rules!!!

  9. LOL Says:
    December 11th, 2007 at 4:34 pm

    Good studd.

  10. Usb flashdrive Says:
    December 12th, 2007 at 6:21 am

    It’s very good article. Great site with very good look and perfect information.

  11. emo Says:
    December 24th, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    It’s very good article. Great site with very good look and perfect information.

Leave a Reply