Sun Microsystems Inc. announced two moves in the battle to create the software platform of choice for the next-generation of the Internet. First, having seen momentum with the Solaris Operating System  as free and open source software, Sun is making the Java Enterprise System, Sun N1 Management software and Sun developer tools available at no cost for both development and deployment and, further, is reaffirming its commitment to open source this software. Second, Sun announced that it is integrating all of this software along with the Solaris OS into the Solaris Enterprise System, the only comprehensive and open infrastructure software platform available today.

With this announcement, Sun is creating the no-cost, open alternative to the Windows environment. The Solaris Enterprise System has all of the benefits of an integrated offering while still enabling customers the flexibility to address their requirements by deploying the specific components they need into alternative operating systems. In addition to being combined under a single distribution with the Solaris Enterprise System, the Sun Java Enterprise System and the Sun developer tools can be used at no cost on other existing multi-platform environments including Windows, HP-UX and Linux.

Sun is also working with its extensive partner ecosystem to continue to deliver a full-set of advanced support services. The single, no-cost distribution allows developers and customers a risk-free way to get unencumbered access to truly business-critical infrastructure software and then engage with Sun at a point in the lifecycle when they need access to development and deployment services. This lowers their risk of adoption and enables a dramatic increase in the number of companies and individuals who can obtain a complete, integrated portfolio of enterprise-class software.

"With more than 3.4 million Solaris licenses and nearly 1 million Java Enterprise System subscribers, customers and developers around the world have asked us to take the next logical step -- combining the world's fastest growing open source operating system with the world's most complete and ready to deploy infrastructure software platform," said Jonathan Schwartz, president and COO of Sun. "One hundred percent of our customers are deploying Web infrastructures and asking for relief from onerous licenses and system integration activity. With our announced intent to open source the entirety of our software offerings, every single developer across the world now has access to the most sophisticated platform available for web 1.0, 2.0 and beyond."

Included in the new Solaris Enterprise System are:

• The open sourced Solaris 10 OS, with the recently announced PostgreSQL database.

• The entire Sun Java Enterprise System infrastructure software platform, including the Sun Java Identity Management Suite, Sun Java Integration Suite, Sun Java Communications Suite, Sun Java Application Platform Suite, Sun Java Availability Suite and Sun Java Web Infrastructure Suite.

• The N1 Management Software including the Sun N1 System Manager, the Sun N1 Service Provisioning System and the Sun N1 Grid Engine.

• All tools for C, C++ and Java development, including Sun Studio 11, Sun Java(TM) Studio Enterprise 8 and Sun Java Studio Creator.

• SunRay Server software.

• Sun Secure Global Desktop Software.

Sun is offering an opportunity to explore, develop and deploy on Sun's pre-tested and pre-integrated software platform. This is a complete platform which incorporates Sun's existing and recently acquired technology, including its market-leading identity management products, SOA-based integration and composite application products from Sun's recent acquisition of SeeBeyond, and the remote secure display capabilities from Sun's acquisition of Tarantella.