Oracle Linux vs. Microsoft and Sun

A couple of other points regarding Oracle Linux: What does this mean for Oracle’s non-Linux operating system partners, Microsoft and Sun?

Microsoft, while competing against Oracle’s database with SQL Server, likes being a high-volume platform for running Oracle 10g, as well as Oracle’s many applications. Expect to see Microsoft to gently step up its assaults on Oracle. (And vice-versa.) The two companies still need each other, but Oracle now has fewer reasons to steer customers toward a third-party operating system which diverts revenue from Larry Ellison’s pockets.

Sun, not having an enterprise database of its own, has long viewed Oracle as a critical application for Solaris and for Sun’s servers. That’s why Sun’s Jonathan Schwartz was a keynote at Oracle OpenWorld this year. While Sun was conspicuous by its absence on the list of partners endorsing Oracle Linux, expect that to change, and for Sun to quickly and publicly support Oracle Linux on its enterprise hardware.

Short-term impact on Microsoft and Sun will be minimal. But despite my expectation that Sun will support Oracle Linux, this is not good news for those two companies on the long term.