I.B.M. Said to Be in Talks to Buy Sun for $7 Billion - NYTimes.com

Somehow I doubt being generous to competitors – e.g., acquiring Sun and giving up control of Java – is part of the plan

If it acquired Sun, I.B.M. “would unify those warring groups and make for a stronger front against Microsoft,” said Michael A. Cusumano, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

Both I.B.M. and Sun boast sizable communities of third-party software developers who write programs using their technology. An estimated one million programmers use Sun’s technology, while I.B.M.’s vast software business claims eight million.

I.B.M. Said to Be in Talks to Buy Sun for $7 Billion - NYTimes.com