Sun launches dot-com support programme

Sun Microsystems this week launched a new "Start-up Essentials" programme for Internet start-up companies. The programme is aimed at providing these "dot-com" companies with low-cost products and services designed to help them get off the ground. As part of the programme, Sun is creating a field sales and technical organization to work directly with start-up Internet companies that need to get electronic commerce facilities started up quickly.

''Last quarter, we had 112 new dot-com wins on Sun technologies and those are the ones we know,'' said Doug Kaewert, vice president of market development at Sun. ''I look at it like the great Oklahoma land rush. There is a lot of land out there and whoever is aggressive can be very successful.'' Among the services available under the programme are product bundles at extremely low prices. Sun won’t make money on the sales. A variety of financing programmes will also be made available. ''Our goal is not to make any money on them. We are just making sure that we don't lose money on the whole proposition,'' Kaewert said.

Sun is banking on many of these firms quickly growing into sizeable Internet players who will end up buying more Sun servers and software. The Start-Up Essential programme is similar to programme Hewlett-Packard has in place that gives hardware and software to dot-com companies in return for a percentage of future sales.