Asked for his take on the Microsoft Corp’s rumored purchase of $5bn stake in AT&T Corp, Sun Microsystems Inc CEO and Redmond bete noire, Scott McNealy says it’s an example of Microsoft buying its way into the service provider business, by forcing companies into using its technology and content even though it doesn’t work. He says the only way they can get anyone to use their stuff is to pay them to use it, referring to the likelihood that AT&T will use Microsoft’s operating systems in the cable set-top boxes used in its cable systems. McNealy rounded off his invective by saying, I don’t think they should be able to use their monopoly money to buy stakes in their customers. McNealy was speaking at Sun’s launch of its ServiceProvider.com and SunTone initiatives at the Hudson Theater in New York yesterday. Sun rolled out its executive big guns and CEOs from 235 various service providers to launch a channel strategy that it’s been developing for a year.
