Java Industry News
Sun & Oracle Surprise Microsoft, IBM
Ballmer: ‘I have no idea why a software company would buy a hardware company’
Apr. 24, 2009 05:45 PM
In Moscow when the Oracle-Sun news broke, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told Reuters that he was "very surprised" and that having just heard about it, he needed to think about it. Evidently they didn't warn him ahead of time. Having thought about it for a couple of days, he told the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo that "I have no idea why a software company would buy a hardware company. We don't want to buy any hardware companies," according to Reuters. Ballmer was happy anticipating the IBM-Sun deal, relishing the idea of the year or two it would have taken IBM to digest it. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal said the move "blindsided" IBM.
About Maureen O'GaraMaureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara