Oracle to buy Sun for $7.4 billion
Sun Microsystems and Oracle have confirmed that the two companies will merge.


Oracle is buying Sun Microsystems in deal valued at $7.4 billion (5.08 billion).
The two industry giants have entered into a definitive agreement in which Oracle will acquire Sun stock at $9.50 (6.50) a share.
In an announcement to the press, Larry Ellison, Oracle's chief executive, predicted that through the acquisition, Sun could experience $1.5 billion in annual growth.
He said: "Solaris and Java have been instrumental in Oracle's decision to buy Sun. Oracle can increase investment in Java for its middleware and Solaris is by far the best UNIX technology available with more Oracle databases running on this than any other system."
The focus for the future is on building an integrated system, using the soon-to-be-created joint expertise and providing what Ellison called "an integrated system from database to disk."
Sun's chairman, Scott McNealy, added: "Sun and Oracle have been partners for over 20 years but today marks the next big step. This is truly momentous for the industry as we will be the only totally integrated system available and the largest supplier of Open software."
"There is no question in my mind that this deal redraws the boundaries in the industry."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Previously, it was IBM who was the favourite to buy Sun, but reports claim that the company had lost interest.
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
-
The IT industry’s shift to circular, low-carbon solutions
Maximize your hardware investment and reach your sustainability goals with HP’s Renew Solutions
-
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition review
Reviews This thin and light ultraportable will draw you in with its vibrant screen – but it isn't as powerful as some of its competitors
-
IBM eyes Oracle expertise gains with latest acquisition
News The deal aims to help IBM address the complexities of public sector cloud transformation
-
Channel Focus: All you need to know about Oracle's partner program
What to know about partnering with Oracle: A brief guide to the database management software company as it expands further into cloud solutions
-
Compliance through automation and localization
ITPro Podcast The crossover between automation, localization, and even AI is strong
-
Will NetSuite take a cautious approach to AI at SuiteWorld 2023?
Analysis Generative AI is likely to loom large over SuiteWorld – but NetSuite may instead bank on boosting its core end-to-end automation tech
-
Oracle updates HCM capabilities to focus on value and set employees up for success
News Reward and recognition - especially by peers - are key tenets of the update to the Oracle Me employee experience platform
-
Oracle: Generative AI is bigger than B2B, bigger than us
News Oracle's CTO, chairman, and current CEO once again set the bar high during Oracle CloudWorld 2023 keynotes
-
Oracle sets out its stall for a new age of multi-cloud
Opinion Embracing rival providers with open arms is a bold strategy, one that plays to Oracle’s strengths in infrastructure
-
The best IT management tools
Best We feature the best IT management tools, to help make the process of managing IT systems simpler and easier, from customer support to diagnostics