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Sun Is Paving The Way To The N1 Data Center

Sun Microsystems Inc has announced new services that will assist customers to deploy and manage the new Sun Fire Blade Platform and N1 architectures, putting them on a course towards assembling network computing elements into N1 environments. N1, Sun's multi-platform, multi-vendor operating environment for network computing, virtualizes widely distributed network computing resources and elements (servers, storage, software and networking) and enables them to dynamically operate as a single, powerful network computer. Sun also announced key services to help customers improve system availability, drive down total costs and reduce the complexity involved in modern data center operations.

"With IT budgets tighter than ever, customers have told us that they need help to design, deploy and operate ever more complex systems as cost and time-effectively as possible. That's what these new services are all about: helping customers quickly move to low-cost network computing environments designed to reduce complexity and yield higher return-on-assets," stated Patricia C. Sueltz, executive vice president of Sun Services.

New Services Enable Computers to be Built from Elements

Sun's new services for N1 announced recently enable virtualization, or pooling, of network computing elements to facilitate optimal use of resources. These new services include:

• N1 Architecture Workshop and N1 Architecture Assessment Service: Sun leads customers through the process of aligning their IT vision and quantifying N1 ROI. Sun provides an assessment of the customer's existing environment vs. the N1 architecture and defines transition requirements for the virtualization of the data center. The Workshop pricing begins at $10,000, Assessment at $80,000 U.S. list price. Both are available in February 2003.
• N1 Services for the Sun Fire Blade Platform: Helps companies quickly and cost-effectively deploy the Sun Fire Blade Platform using the N1 Provisioning Server 3.0 Blades Edition. N1 Services for the Sun Fire Blade Platform will be available in April 2003, and pricing varies with the configuration.
• Customer Ready Systems Program: To support large scale Blade and N1 deployments, Sun Services will offer implementation services through the Sun Customer Ready Systems Program (Sun CRS) which will enable customer configurations to be shipped factory-integrated and tested to meet business needs. This is designed to help implement new technologies and solutions quicker, with lower cost. Sun CRS for Blades will be available in March 2003, and pricing will vary with the configuration.
• Blade Manager: Instrumentation and monitoring package involves a set of tools and services to help customers deploy, monitor and maintain racks of Sun Fire Blades quickly, effectively and efficiently. Blade Manager is available now in the Americas and will be rolled out worldwide beginning in April 2003.

Services to Maximize Data Center Performance

Sun's new offerings to help boost reliability, performance and serviceability in the data center include:

• Sun Reliability, Availability and Serviceability System Analysis (RAS/SA): Internet-based, comprehensive system assessment service that allows data center managers to give systems a self-directed "health check" to achieve optimum configurations and performance, thereby reducing unplanned downtime. RAS/SA will be available in March 2003, and the US list price will start at $1,980.
• Sun Environmental Services: A preemptive approach to maintaining proper data center conditions for peak system availability. These services take a complete look at items such as climate control and other routine factors often overlooked but crucial to maximizing system performance. Environmental Services are custom priced and are available today.
• Sun Data Center Site Support Program: Allows enterprises to choose a comprehensive support arrangement for the entire data center rather than system-specific contracts, thereby lowering total support costs and covering virtually the entire network computing infrastructure of Sun products. The Data Center Site Support Services are custom priced based on the needs of the datacenter and are currently available.

For more information on N1 services from Sun, please visit www.sun.com/service/n1/ and for more on services for the data center, please visit www.sun.com/service/datac enter/.

About Sun Microsystems Inc

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems Inc to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com/.

Contact: Randy Schultz of Sun Microsystems Inc, 303-272-8223, randy.schultz@sun.com.