Reliable sources, says Shel Israel, have it that one reason Oracle wanted Sun, was for their social networking capabilities. Mike Gotta lists these out, including SunSpace, their Facebook for the Enterprise:
- This could help bootstrap an Oracle effort to deliver a dedicated social network site (ala Lotus Connections) to compliment WebCenter (which is more of a portal-centric play for social networking).
- SunSpace could conceptually “surround” Beehive.
- However, Oracle has not indicated that it believes in the concept of a destination site for social networking.
ZDNET look toward the Data Center and see this as both entering the fray with combined gusto. It also brings together tech:
The technical side of this Oracle buy Sun deal also is notable. Oracle’s stack of IT stuff now includes:
- Java;
- Solaris;
- Enterprise applications ranging from CRM to ERP to business intelligence;
- The database (Oracle and MySQL);
- The middleware;
- The storage hardware;
- Cloud computing services;
- And servers.
Will it all function together? Are they going to market a SunSpace Beehive? What will happen to MySQL and Open Office?
Let’s hope Dries Buytaert is right too and MS Access is in the frame:
Will it all work out? Technosailor Aaron Brazell has no doubts, with this Blip to the new union: