This partnership primarily aims to provide better integration for companies that are already using Sun's software on Dell's hardware. To a lesser extent, it could also potentially be a way for Sun to strengthen the position of Solaris in a market that increasingly demands commodity x86 hardware. In a blog entry, Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz writes about what he and Michael Dell hope to accomplish by working together. "[W]e've both heard from a ton of customers that they're running Solaris (and Sun Software, broadly) on Dell systems—and they'd like us to work together to make the experience a seamless one," wrote Schwartz. "It's important to note, of the Solaris instances distributed into the world, roughly a third run on Dell—that's certainly motivation for us both to work together."

Schwartz also responds to critics of the deal who are concerned that Sun is cannibalizing its own hardware business by enabling companies to run Solaris on Dell's hardware. "So why are we signing these partnerships, rather than simply locking Solaris to our own hardware? (Yes, I still get that question...) Because locking Solaris to Sun would be like a wireless carrier selling you a phone that didn't roam—or an automobile manufacturer mandating you buy their gas after you've bought their car," Schwartz wrote. "There's probably a market for both, it's just smaller than the market we're after—the global market. In which customers value choice."

Source: Arstechnica.com