ISM 50 - Business Information SystemsLecture 12Instructor: John MusacchioUC Santa CruzNovember 2, 2010AnnouncementsRead Messerschmitt Ch 7 for Thursday.Folio 2 due Thursday (if you are doing a folio!)Database assignment to be issued ThursdayTutorial sessions2 Nov 2010 Time: 9:00-10:30AM, Soc Sci Room1355 Nov 2010 Time: 4:00-5:30PM, BE 1099 Nov 2010 Time: 9:00-10:30am, social science 13512 Nov 2010 Time: 4:00-5:30PM, BE 109Student TalksSun Case(continued)Sun N-tier caseWhat does Sun make?WorkstationsServersSoftwareHow Successful had Sun been up to 1998?Founded in 1982Open Standards WorkstationUnix Operating System (Solaris)TCP/IP networking1988 Revenues $1 billion1993 Market value $3.0 billon1997 Jumped from 3rd to 1st in Unix Server Market.How Successful had Sun been up to 1998?1993 The network is the computer.1994 Internet explodes in popularityMicrosoft mid to late 90sDominated Desktop softwareUsers familiar with Windows, Office, etc.NT serversFine for small intranets, not industrial strengthSun N-Tier CaseWhat is Java?Programming LanguagePortable between computers with different operating systemsEasy to write programs inEasier re-useBut, programs are slowWhat problems did the micro era produce?Desktops are expensive to maintainTCO for windows PC $9900!Every PC had a lot of software that had to be maintainedOffice, Windows, etcSmall differences, like the order in which software is installed, could make different PCs behave differently!Suns VisionThin Client model.Application Servers with Applications written in Java.NCs could retrieve applications from application server as needed.Applications compatible with any NC hardware and OS.Applications could be fixed, added, updated at the server level, rather than maintaining each PC.Microsoft VisionKeep fat-client modelAdd some features to Windows to reduce administration costsSUN 3 - TierSun N-tierSun N-TierSuns PerformanceToday3-tier model common.Suns version of 4-tier model not-common.N-tier model where Webserver and Application Server on separate equipment also common.Suns hardware business not strong.Linux on cheap PCs most common serversMicrosoft desktops replacing Sun workstationsTodayJavaCommon in Server implementationsExample: Java Servlet implementing application logic in a banking application.Often used to push simple applets onto clientNot commonFor big desktop applicationsOffice Suite in Java not popular Microsoft is still in businessWhat could have Sun done?Compete on price with cheap PC servers running Linux?Sell a fat-client workstation that runs Windows and is price competitive with Dell, HP PCs, etc...Sell workstations at a price premium over PCs, focus on software reliability, run some Microsoft application, build brand cachet.Focus on Java based software and IT services for enterprises, withdraw from low-end hardwareSomething
View Full Document
Unlocking...