"Linux is not as attractive as it was yesterday," said Derosier. "The collaboration between these two companies nullifies Linux's advantage in the server market. This means Java is going to be a higher-end product. It takes away any objections to Java. One of the main problems with Java was that it conflicted with XP and every other operating system that Microsoft ever made. There were always serious patches and security flaws."
Derosier said it also means "higher-quality products" from both Sun and Microsoft. "Getting the software from these two companies to work together has always been a big problem for VARs," he said. "If these two companies ever combined on a server, Linux would be done."
Novell and IBM said they would not comment. Linux software leader Red Hat issued a statement Friday, saying, "The alliance validates open source as an alternative."
Several analysts said the deal will help Microsoft and Sun battle IBM and Linux, but claim market forces drove the deal.
McNealy has been under pressure to return Sun to profitability for some time, and many viewed his single-minded disdain for Microsoft as a personal crusade that clouded his judgment to make savvy business decisions.
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