WorldCom and Sun Team-Up

Business data and Internet communications provider, WorldCom Group and software giant Sun Microsystems Inc. , today announced a marketing agreement to promote global hosting products and services for enterprise customers. Sun will also become WorldCom’s provider of UNIX system-based hardware and software for its global network of data centers.

“This agreement enables WorldCom and Sun customers to rely on combined strengths to deliver advanced networking and hosting technologies,” says Ron McMurtrie, vice president of WorldCom global e-Services.

WorldCom customers can access Sun’s platform thorough WorldCom’s managed hosting data centers located in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan. The company will support Sun servers and storage running on the Solaris Operating Environment and the iPlanet Web Server software from iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun-Netscape Alliance. In turn, Sun is providing consulting, service and support for WorldCom customers.

The agreement will also allow WorldCom to serve as a reseller of Sun hardware and software to its Internet colocation customers, offering them a one-stop solution for their hosting needs.

Related to the alliance is news today that WorldCom’s managed hosting services have earned the SunTone Certified quality ‘seal of approval’ from the SunTone Certification and Branding Program.

The SunTone program, led by Sun, is a collaborative industry initiative to help customers of Web services and applications identify those providers that meet high industry standards says Tim Dwyer, vice president of Sun’s Industry Solutions Group: “WorldCom’s Web hosting offerings include an unparalleled range of comprehensive solutions from high-end managed hosting to Internet colocation services,” he concludes.