Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have opened an interoperability center at the Microsoft campus in Redmond.

The objective is to optimize Microsoft operating systems and applications for deployment on Sun Fire x64 servers and memory impractical test, but also to collaborate on virtualization, collaboration and identity software, and Java technology. “The new Sun/Microsoft Interoperability Center will help provide our joint customers with a testbed for running key Microsoft applications on Sun’s x64 servers and help ensure more seamless integration between the technologies,” said Lisa Sieker, vice president of Systems Marketing, Sun Microsystems. As one of the first results of the latest drive towards closer co-operation the companies presented the Sun Infrastructure Solution für Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 at the same time promising customers who are willing to savings on total cost of ownership (TCO) thanks to lower memory requirements, energy consumption and cooling for their email servers.

Another focus of the center's interoperability drive will be virtualization. Sun and Microsoft are looking to co-operate on cross platform server virtualization, more specifically on the Windows Hyper-V and Sun xVM software solutions. The "Sun Ray" thin client will also offer a virtual Windows desktop in future. With respect to Sun’s Java technology there are plans to certify Java platforms in the Enterprise and Standard Editions including the Java Runtime Environment for Microsoft operating systems and applications.

Sun has been selling Microsoft servers since the fall of 2007 and has run test environments on the Microsoft Campus in Washington state for three years. The companies regard the center as extension of their cooperation after burying the hatchet back in 2004 and agreeing to collaborate.

Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have opened an interoperability center at the Microsoft campus in Redmond.