|
|
Featured White Papers
Sponsored Links
-
Slow Apps? Overloaded DBMS? - FREE Download
FREE Download Feb 14 - March 7th Eliminate bottlenecks & maximize performance ScaleOut StateServer®
The Sun-Oracle merger is going great!
Submitted by Josh Fruhlinger on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 22:59.
So in case you've (a) been under a rock and (b) have difficulty recognizing sarcasm, that headline is sarcastic. The Oracle-Sun merger is, in fact, not going well. Let's review all the ways it didn't go well this week!
The sticking point is MySQL, which is no doubt extra frustrating to folks who mainly care about the health of Java. MySQL creator Monty Widenius, who parted company with Sun in February of this year, had initially seemed to take a sort of standoffish, we-can-always-fork-it attitude about the takeover, but now he's come out against it.
Also against it: the dangerous hippie double team of Ralph Nader (because of fears that Oracle will hobble MySQL) and Richard Stallman (for the same reasons, plus brain-hurtingly complicated things about the various versions of the GPL).
Oracle, apparently finally figuring out that it needs to do some damage control, sent company president Safra Katz to Europe to make nice with EU Competition Commissioner "Steelie" Neelie Kroes. Kroes was in no mood, and, according to her spokesperson, "expressed her disappointment that Oracle failed to produce, despite repeated requests, either hard evidence that there were no competition problems or a proposal for a remedy to the competition concerns identified by the commission."
As to who is behind all this (because yes, there's always someone behind things, don't you know), opinions differ! The juiciest rumors: Groklaw's PJ hints darkly at Microsoft's involvement, while Maureen O'Gara thinks a crooked IBM exec might be involved. (PJ and O'Gara were on opposing sides in the long-running SCO-Linux drama, accusing each other of secretly shilling for IBM and Microsoft, respectively, so this is hilariously apt.)
Much fun as it is to sit back with some popcorn and enjoy the craziness, there are of course real consequences as the uncertainty drags on. Sun announced that it would be laying off another 3,000 workers -- 10 percent of its workforce. At this rate, will there be anything left of Sun for Oracle to buy?
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Terms of Service/Privacy
Copyright, 2006-2010 Infoworld, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sun/Oracle Merger
I find it fascinating that all the way through this politicking/posturing saga very little consideration (if any) has been given to the workers of SUN who have been in a "review" state of flux for some 18 months now.
Could you stay focussed/positive/creative in this type of doomsday environment?
Some people are making
Some people are making really good money on all that
This is just killing us
I am still employed with SUN. We will see a 10% reduction in force, very soon. We also know that Uncle Larry will show no mercy in laying off another bulk of us. Majority of us have given up hope and is trying to switch jobs. So yes, if this does not come to closure soon, Oracle will have very few people with brains!
I feel bad for everyone
I feel bad for everyone employed at Sun who will be laid off or will suffer in some way because of the time it is taking to approve the deal. I wish you all the best. What a great engineering company Sun is! It's too bad they had to sell at all. I wonder if there will ever be another company like Sun? It's horrible how everything boils down to money.
It's horrible how everything boils down to money.
About "It's horrible how everything boils down to money." I worked with some good folks at Sun and I've worked for Oracle - as a matter of fact EVERY software company I've ever worked for ( all 3 ) has ultimately been bought by Oracle so I can confirm that YES - indeed EVERYthing boils down to money - NOT Brains - NOT innovation - NOT intelligence - NOT hard work - JUST MONEY. And those who HAVE money get MORE money as part of a perpetual RISK FREE cycle of acquisitions to kill off competition. Seems the ONLY entity BIG enough and SMART enough to call bullsh*t on this is the EU.
Speaking of MONEY talks , it's big software money lobbying your congressman right now to get more H1-B Visa technical workers more CHEAPLY to replace you too - H1-B Visa workers have always been a bad idea even during full employment, but the quota should be 0-ZERO during a recession with unemployment over 10% !!
Post new comment