Sun Microsystems To Distribute Google Search Toolbar

Search giant Google and computing technology firm Sun Microsystems have entered into a cross-promotional partnership, the companies announced Tuesday. The agreement, which involves Sun distributing the Google search toolbar along with Sun's own Java software, potentially boosts Google's market share.

The multi-year deal calls on Google to distribute Sun's Java Runtime Environment--a software platform that allows users to run Java-based applications to run on their own PCs--and Sun to distribute Google's toolbar.

Users who download Java Runtime Environment can easily use Sun's OpenOffice--an open-source office tools suite that competes with Microsoft's Office. Among the partnership's additional terms are that Google will help promote and improve OpenOffice, as well as Solaris--a Sun open-source operating system. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said Google engineers already contribute to that open-source code.

In the hours before the announcement, speculation swirled that Google would announce an office tools suite to compete with Microsoft Office, or even an operating system to compete with the upcoming Windows Vista. When asked if an operating system was in the works for Google, Schmidt limited his reply to the statement: "We're in the end user search business."

Sun CEO Scott McNealy was also wary of talking about the deal's possible implications for Google competitor Microsoft. When asked if Sun and Google are "going after" Microsoft, McNealy responded: "We're going after revenue, growth, profits, customers, and ease of use."

"Everything's not a hockey match," said McNealy, well-known in tech circles for his enthusiasm for amateur hockey. "At some point, it's about giving the customer choice."

In April 2004, Sun Microsystems and Microsoft entered into a cooperation agreement after settling antitrust and patent litigation with a payment by Microsoft to Sun to the tune of roughly $1.6 billion. Under the cooperation pact, Microsoft agreed to support Java and to certify Sun's server technologies for use with Windows. McNealy described that partnership as "required." "The Microsoft partnership is very important," he said. "Let's face it--everywhere you go you see Windows. That's a statement of fact."

The Google partnership, on the other hand, McNealy described as "natural," citing the history that Schmidt has with Sun. The Google CEO previously worked at Sun Microsystems, helping to develop Java and their open-source operating system, which was later dubbed Solaris.

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