Sun draws lines in the sand

Sun has set tomorrow as the date to draw a proverbial line in the sand on behalf of the entire IT industry. That's the latest proclaimation from Sun President and COO Jonathan Schwartz, who says in his blog that it is time for the industry to take responsibility for not only the quality of products but the "integrity of those products after they're put into operation....It's the seeds of GM's OnStar for the IT industry, and puts Sun one step closer to taking active responsibility for all the technologies we deliver - even when they're running on our competitor's platforms." Sun's line-in-the-sand Sun Connection Update Service will be multivendor, available to ISVs, and the code will be open sourced, Schwartz said.

Schwartz chastizes those who "dump and run," getting the business with a lowest bid but delivering inferior products and services. "If Boeing has to vouch for the engines on airplanes (technically, GE vouches), surely the IT industry should start vouching for the systems managing air traffic control--minimally, whether they're being kept up to date."

Sun's line in the sand sounds like a good step forward for Sun, focusing on delivering sustainable value, but it's a line that serious competitors don't have much trouble leaping over. On the other hand, Sun--especially via Schwartz's blog--has been one of the few companies drawing any relevant lines in the sand for the industry. Stephen Shankland has the scoop on other announcements coming tomorrow at the quarterly rollout, taking place in Washington D.C.