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Google, Sun Ink Software Partnership

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

October 4, 2005, 1:35 PM

Google and Sun kicked off a multi-year partnership at a special event on Tuesday, inking a deal to distribute each other's software. The two companies will collaborate on ways to make it easier for consumers to obtain Sun's Java runtime, the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and the Google Toolbar.

By working with Google, Sun could better compete with Microsoft through increased online promotion. "Working with Google will make our technologies available more broadly, increase options for user, lower barriers, and expand participation worldwide," said Sun CEO Scott McNealy.

Google said it would offer Java as an optional install to users who download the company's browser toolbar. With Microsoft no longer including Java support in Windows, the bundling deal could help Sun get its technology across a wider range of desktops.

"Google and Java are two of the most widely recognized technology brands because they provide users with online tools that enhance their lives on a day to day basis," said Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt. "We look forward to exploring other areas of collaboration."

In exchange, Google will be free to create applications based on Sun's technology. Prior to the announcement, some had speculated that Google planned to build an office suite based on OpenOffice.org. However, the companies did not indicate such a project was in the works.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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By jackisgoodguy

posted Jun 11, 2008 - 10:29 AM

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Hi, My name is Jack Black,my blog is http://jackisgoodguy.spaces.live.co

Score: 0

By xico

edited Oct 5, 2005 - 9:14 PM

Nada melhor do que esta associação entre a OO e sol.Mas queremos é um Java mais leve e rápido.

Score: 0

By guitardave78

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 11:15 AM

Said it before and say it again, all they needed was an office app and a desktop environment and google would start to take over. One more step to go.

It is great for OO as that is a great app that I use instead of ms mostly. But as for packaging java, not sure it is worth the download most of the time!!

Score: 0

By DigitalSin

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 9:03 AM

I really don't see much good coming out of this (of course my insight is limited). Anything with Java can't be good. Java is one of the most useless overhyped technologies I've ever seen. The big plus: "Hey its platform independent!". No, it's actually not. Worst of all, it is slow!

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:16 AM

This seems like a good thing to me. I'm hoping though that the default installer has Java packaged, but if you actually know what you're doing and look around on the page or another one, you can find a download without it.

Score: 0

By AntiochMedia

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 12:41 AM

I'm not too sure why anyone would want both Google Toolbar and Java packaged together... I find Java useful for a few apps -- mostly 360 Virtual Tours that I publish and Azureus -- and I suppose OpenOffice, but then again, I don't really use the Java parts to my knowledge...

I do think that Google's promotion of OpenOffice will be wonderful though! Especially if OpenOffice could eventually receive Google branding and web-based technologies along the line of Microsoft Office supported by Google...

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:15 AM

Yeah, that'd be sweet!

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:51 PM

Haven't read any of the comments yet. I think this is awesome. IMO, it will result in a larger quantity of better and more-easily-accessible software.

I know the doomsayers are going to have a field-day with this though. GOOGLE IS TAKING OVER!!!! OH NOES!!!!

Score: 0

By crashoverride

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 2:27 AM

Normally I would be one of those doomsayers. In this case though i think I'll have to say this is a good thing since Google will have the chance to use Java technology. There's a whole world of possibilities of expansion for Google in this deal. I guess that's where the doomsayers would start screaming NOOOOO but me personally if it comes down to Google taking over or Microsoft (or should I say MSN, not sure which to say there) I'd choose Google everytime. I wonder if those guys actually do consider Google a threat to them.

Score: 0

By katipo

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:50 PM

Actually this is bad news and will only encourage others to do the same.

Google's toolbar is an excellent toolbar and the only reason I started using the MSN alternative instead is to get tabbed browsing in IE.

However if I want to switch back to google bar I will download it from their site.

I do not appreciate software installers asking if I want to install google bar as well and insisting I uncheck the yes option, which is selected by default, to not install it!

Score: 0

By improvelence

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:42 AM

Yea, because we all know how difficult it is to uncheck a box...

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 10:45 AM

For people that have trouble double-clicking... it's not cool. They're the ones that end up with 500 programs installed that 1). They never knew they installed in the first place, and 2). They never use.

It's not the biggest problem in the world, but it is annoying...

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Oct 4, 2005 - 9:39 PM

Yeah that is annoying. I hate it when they have options you DON'T want checked by default =(

Score: 0

By tmaioli

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 6:34 PM

My wife said "What's the big news?" I said thier going to share a java download with the Google toolbar. After a eternity of a blank zombie like stare, she said "thats it", yep. What a waste of bandwidth watching the webcast, let alone the bandwidth of my brain. Google your beginning to let us down. Here's a biz plan: How 'bout working on searching - just a thought.

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Oct 4, 2005 - 8:51 PM

Wow. There's a lot more to this if you just read the article.

"In exchange, Google will be free to create applications based on Sun's technology."

Big implications. Huge.

Score: 0

By ServerMechanic

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 6:08 PM

Hmm....

Google getting their hands in more stuff.

Real Great.

Just real great.

*eyes rolling and head shaking*

Score: 0

By GroovyMojo.com

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 3:08 PM

I was expecting a Sun-Google simplified desktop Linux or something like that, where they'd be going head-to-head with Microsoft. Heh. Glad I wasn't holding my breath.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:53 PM

"Google will be free to create applications based on Sun's technology."

I'm thinking that might not be all that improbable.

Score: 0

By GeorgeSantayana

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 2:51 PM

Oh snap! No you didn't, Sun! You're going to offer the @#$% GOOGLE TOOLBAR?! Dang, that's like the most innovative piece of software in the world--way more than the Lycos, MSN, Altavista, Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves, HotBot, Dogpile toolbars.

And Google? First NASA and now Desktop Java? Whoa! Think of all the popular desktop Java software you will bring to the masses like, um... oh, Limewire, and, uhhhh, I'm sure there's more!

I'm sorry but BFD.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

edited Oct 4, 2005 - 2:59 PM

Like I said...there's than we're seeing here. Gotta be, doesn't make sense otherwise.

The only benefit I see is for OpenOffice.Org, but that doesn't *really* help Google or Sun...

*shrug*

Score: 0

By Paradise-FH-

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 3:06 PM

argh.

google's entire business is based around having a large user base click their paid advertisements. this is just another opportunity to partner with the hopes of expanding their user base.

java is a much more popular download then google toolbar. the parternship makes perfect sense for them.

sun (more simply) gets more exposure as google builds applications with sun java and the like.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 3:16 PM

Just what the world needs...more Java.

*sigh*

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:54 PM

yeah. no kidding. It's frikking slow =((((

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:13 AM

If all Java apps were built like Azureus, the world would be a better place.

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 2:11 PM

I'd like to see GoogleOffice. I could really see them sprucing it up a bit. It would be a really easy entry into becoming the search default and toolbar installer, too. Think of how many ways Google could add some value to OO.

Score: 0

By zridling

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 3:10 PM

That would be great except Google does not "do" user interfaces well. Remember they bought Picasa. Let OOo take charge and Google can just distribute it.

Score: 0

By GeorgeSantayana

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 4:57 PM

Sort of.

Google bought Picasa *developers*. They said they wanted them for their interface design skills. So I'm assuming they could make an office suite just as slick as Picasa, which has about one of the coolest UIs of any Windows program.

Score: 0

By ServerMechanic

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 6:07 PM

What do you mean they do not do user interfaces well? Gmail looks fine to me. I think OOo does a worse job with user interfaces. OOo looks like crap pretty much.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

edited Oct 4, 2005 - 2:38 PM

It'll be interesting to see how much input Google will have in future releases of Sun's Products. I can't see Google just being a marketer for Sun. There's got to be something more in it for Google.

Google using Java(VM). I don't like it. They need to fix some serious security issues before I'll install *any* Java runtimes on my system. I won't even consider it until my firewall can differentiate between java apps. (Right now, they're all seen as Java..at least, the last time I checked, which I admit has been a while)

There's gotta be something else Google is aiming for.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:56 PM

"I won't even consider it until my firewall can differentiate between java apps. (Right now, they're all seen as Java..at least, the last time I checked, which I admit has been a while)"

Yeah. They're still all java.exe

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:11 AM

Yeah, I complained about that and said the Java control panel should have a program interface similar to Kerio, but for Jar files.

But hey, who am I? :P

Score: 0

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