3 reasons why Sun Microsystems `failed'

Software major Oracle Corp recently completed its takeover of hardware company Sun Microsystems Inc for $7.4 billion. The deal, which was announced nine months ago, would transform the IT industry, Oracle claimed in a statement.

But what was it that led Sun Microsystem to put `On Sale' board. For, Sun was always this hot technology company that was even dubbed the poster boy of the Internet economy. Where then did Sun go wrong? Many have tried to find answers to this question. But there are no easy answers.

Dan Baigent, who was senior director of corporate development with Sun Microsystems when the company got acquired, wrote a candid inside view on the mistakes that he thinks Sun Micro made and brought it to its knees from the heydays of a peak valuation of $200 billion.

In a series of blog posts, Baigent sought to identify Sun's top 10 failures that finally brought Sun to the point that it had to be bailed out by Oracle in a $7.4 billion acquisition last month.

Interestingly, he managed to post only his three reasons (10, 9 and 8)before they were pulled down. We have recaptured the three reasons responsible for Sun's failure as enumerated by Baigent.

Reason No. 1: Failed to understand the x86 market

"We approached the market in the only way we knew how - as an extension of our high-end, low-volume, high-value approach to network computing. And not just in terms of product features and capabilities, but in terms of sales, partnerships, channel programs and supply chain management."

Reason No. 2: Messing with the Java brand

"(N)umerous attempts by well-meaning marketing folks at Sun to try exploit the value of the Java brand itself and how that ultimately reduced the very value they tried to exploit. To some degree, this is as much about the lack of value in the Sun brand (at least outside our loyal customer base) as it is about Java".

Reason No. 3: Fumbling Jini

"The real problem was that the engineers had built this technology using the latest Java platform...and had incorporated specific changes into J2SE 1.2 to support the Jini requirements. When launched, Jini could not run in anything smaller than a device with 64MB of memory and a Pentium-class processor.... Meanwhile, Marketing and PR were off describing uses of the technology that were all about small devices (cameras, printers, cell phones, etc.) that were completely unable to run RMI, nonetheless the Jini on which it was built.”

Fleeing the prison of technology - by "Pritish Nandy"

There was a time I could multiply 196 by 832, call my friends, family, lovers without referring to a phone book, remember the birthdays of those who mattered most to me, spell every word I knew without the slightest hesitation. I never owned a dictionary nor a phone book. Yes, I had a calculator on my desk but that was not to add, subtract, divide or multiply. It was for multiple calculations, finding square roots of impossibly large figures which I needed while solving mathematical puzzles, my favourite source of short term amusement.

Today I use my cell phone to add and subtract, recall phone numbers and faces, remind me about birthdays. My laptop tries to correct my spellings, language, grammar and often makes mistakes itself. I can still beat the computer at chess but it's so easy I have long given up playing. No, I don't need to remember anything at all. Google helps me find it in an instant. What was the song Bade Ghulam Ali sang in Khudita Pashan, Tagore's unforgettable ghost story that Tapan Sinha directed, for which Ali Akbar Khan wrote the music? Who directed Edward Scissorhands? When will Rajiv's assassins walk out of jail? Who was India's first Education Minister? Was Jailhouse Rock the King's first big hit? Which was the first big scam that shook Independent India? What did Mountbatten say when he first caught Edwina in Jawaharlal's arms? How does one become a citizen of Melchizedek? Google has an answer for most things, from curing your cat's diarrhoea to which old bookshop in London may have the 1921 edition of Lorca's Libro de Poemas. When Google fails, there's twitter. Somebody, somewhere will always have an answer to the question bothering you. The answer need not always be right. None of us look for right answers in life. We look for answers that comfort us. It's a bit like finding God. If he doesn't exist, we'll have to manufacture him.

No, it is not Alzheimer's nor stress (nor the refusal to eat fish) that's slaying my memory cells. It's this continuous acceptance of technology that's being thrust into my face, demanding it be used. I may not be as quick as a calculator but I'm certainly better than a dictionary or thesaurus. I may not be able to do Rubik's cube in under two minutes, as Aamir Khan apparently does, but I'm ready to take a Mensa test with anyone. The problem is not in my faculties. It lies in the dependencies being forced onto me by technology I have no need for. I am ashamed I have to remember my father's death anniversary by an alarm on my cellphone. Or that a website has to remind me two days ahead to send flowers to my wife on our wedding anniversary. I fear I'm becoming a technology victim.
I'm not alone. That's pretty obvious. I get flowers at least four times a year from friends and acquaintances. That's because different sites have published different birth dates for me and they stay in Google memory. I get anniversary cakes on wrong days. Google informs that these dates do not even match the date of my earlier marriage leave alone my current one. Many of my more famous friends now celebrate multiple birthdays and marriage anniversaries simply because they enjoy partying. I don't. What's worse, I get confused and have now reached a stage where I don't even remember my own birthday till Maria reminds me the evening before with a discreet sms.

Do we need so much technology in our lives? Do we really need taps that go off on their own or lights that come on when we walk into a room? Don't we want to do these things ourselves? Do we really need 11 digit phone numbers that no one can recall without assistance? What about simple, easy to remember word/number combinations like Maggie69Wow? Must we perfunctorily celebrate all birthdays? Why not stick to 20 people who really matter to you and call them instead of sending fancy bouquets to hundreds of people with notes from florists? Why send a V-Day e-card when a simple kiss can do? Why do I need 8GB of music on my iPod when running in the gym? Why can't I let my imagination chase that gorgeous babe two treadmills away? Why must technology isolate us instead of bonding us with a real world of real people, real passions? How can internet sex be a substitute for The Real Thing? Yet porn is the biggest business on the net. How can a Tamagotchi (or any e-pet) replace the love of a real pug? Yet the Japanese are hooked on it. How can any cell phone chat (with a zillion call drops) be a substitute for talking face to face with someone you love? Yet 700 million cell phone users here cootchie coo on it.

So as this year stumbles to an end, I make this promise to myself. Let me slave technology, not let it run my life for me.

The assassination of Savita Bhabhi

I love Indian women. They are beautiful, charming, sexy and (usually) infinitely cleverer than the men I meet. They are also less pompous and self important. In fact, they deliberately stay under the radar just to play the men around them.

This is why I love working with and sharing my life with women. I don't have to suffer locker room jokes or hear tall tales about fantastic sexual exploits. I can relax with women, have fun and (O yeah) crack jokes about men. I don't see the six yard sari as a sign of sexual bondage. I see it as a great liberating force. For me, it's far sexier than jeans, mini skirts and the horrible designer gowns that have suddenly become fashionable. The sari for me, is the ultimate turn on. Remember the rain soaked Madhubala walking into the garage in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi? Or Kareena Kapoor dancing in the rain in Chameli? These are iconic images of sexuality. Both Madhubala and Kareena were sari clad, fully covered. Neither were doing the jhatka matkas you see even pre-pubescent little girls do on reality shows today. Yet they symbolised a rich and vibrant sexuality. As indeed did Meena Kumari in Saheb Biwi Ghulam and Waheeda Rehman in The Guide.

Now you know why I love Savita Bhabhi. She's Indian. She's sexy and she wears a sari.

By banning her site, the I&B Ministry has demonstrated (yet again) how men want to control women all the time. What is Savita Bhabhi's greatest appeal? That she is a typical Bharatiya nari who is brave enough to demonstrate that when it comes to sex she's no pushover. I have known many women like her who pretend to succumb to the sexual politics that men incessantly play around them and yet manage to get their way by cleverly manipulating the XXL male ego. So even as they play coy and subjugated, they are actually free women who live their lives on their own terms. I admire such women and worship on their altar.





No wonder Savita Bhabhi for me is iconic. She's the woman who can take all her sexual decisions on her own without fretting over them. Over 60 million fans flock to her site every month, no mean achievement for a sari clad desi nari, her long dark tresses parted dutifully in the middle where the bright red sindoor flames, while a mangalsutra dangles between her ample breasts. The idiots who argue that her's is a porn site should go visit what real porn sites look like. To begin with, every porn site uses photographs. Filthy, vulgar, exploitative photographs of actual women, not comic book characters having some harmless fun spoofing the way we Indian men treat our women.

Savita Bhabhi is a symbol of freedom, of empowerment, of the sexuality our women can wield if they are allowed to escape the sham world we Indian men trap them in because of our own fears of sexual inadequacy masquerading as machismo. That's why so many rapes happen. We feel inadequate when it comes to having sex with an equal partner. So we want sex slaves as wives, maids, friends, work colleagues, even underage kids. Savita Bhabhi challenges this mindset. The more virgin and demure she looks, the more powerful she is as a symbol of defiance against male chauvinism.




Animation underlines that symbolism. It affirms unequivocally that she's not out to titillate; she's out to prove a point. The amazing artists who brought her alive (Deshmukh, Dexstar and Mad) have created a person who will survive in our history books as the first Indian comic book character who took on the pigs and made them wince. So much so that the Government of India had to invoke the IT act of 2000, amended in 2008, which allows it the power to ban any website that "threatens the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence and security of the State or hampers friendly relations with other states.

No, till date, I have not seen Savita Bhabhi seduce Sarkozy or Berlusconi though I am sure she would have done a pretty decent job of it. Nor have I seen her sleep with the Al Qaida. Even if she did, I would believe she did it in our national interest, rather than to sell any military secrets. Sari clad Indian women don't usually do that even when they have sex on their minds.

C'mon Ms Minister, stand up for women's rights and sexual freedom. Get your goons off Savita Bhabhi; set her free. Remember what Woody Allen said. Assassination is just an extreme form of censorship and I'm sure you don't want to kill off India's first symbol of the sexually liberated woman. There are a hundred surreptitious ways of still meeting Savita Bhabhi on the net but why should we? The Taliban hasn't taken over India yet.

The Importance of Awards

Why do we work? For money? For success, fame, honour, self realisation? For the good life? Each of us is driven by an entirely different set of compulsions.

But one thing is certain. Some professions are meant for those who want to make money and some, for those who want to discover themselves. Teachers are clearly not those who enter the profession in search of money though it’s true that some teachers today are indeed very rich. Just as gamblers are clearly in the casino to make money but most of those who enter a casino come out flat broke. The pursuit of mathematics, on the other hand, can go either way. You can become one of the greatest scientists of our time. Or you can, if you are so inclined, build a fortune on Dalal Street using your love for numbers to outwit others.

Even when you succeed in your calling, rewards can differ. Some become, like Mukesh Ambani, owner of the most prized enterprise in the country. Others become, like Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Rukh Khan, unqualified leaders of their own profession. There are others like Rahul Gandhi who are blessed with the opportunity to change the nation’s destiny, should they want to. Or like Sunil Mittal who, while building his huge personal empire, has changed India forever through his telecom moves. Ambition always begins with a dream, a purpose. And even though money may be an important part of it, I frankly doubt if it really matters that much. Most people strive, excel, achieve for reasons other than money. It’s the desire to prove themselves. Even those who we frown upon, a Ramalinga Raju or a Linda Lovelace were actually pursuing the same objective, each in their own, unique way.

But not all those who strive, succeed. That’s where the role of awards and public recognition comes in. Awards do not only acknowledge success; they recognise many other qualities: ability, struggle, effort and, above all, excellence. For every Shah Rukh who succeeds and hits the jackpot, winning wealth, fame and honour, there are hundreds of equally gifted actors who do not make it. Not because they are any less talented but because life has this curious habit of being unfair, even to the best among us. Guru Dutt killed himself out of sheer disappointment. For every Sachin, there are hundreds of brilliant young sports people in India who never get the grooming and the break they need. And, even when they do, they are stymied at every level by a disrespectful system. For every RK Pachauri, there are thousands of environmental activists doing the most amazing work in towns and villages we have not even heard of. We come to know of them when they win an award and are outed before the media. Would you have heard of Mahasweta Devi or Aruna Roy, MC Mehta or Deep Joshi were it not for the Magsaysay? Would you have gone out and bought Kiran Desai or Aravind Adiga were it not for the Man Booker?

That’s where awards play a crucial role. Not everyone’s lucky to get the money and the rah-rah he or she deserves. Those who do not, manage to get by because of the support and recognition awards give them. When the history of cinema is written, Satyajit Ray will be remembered for his great films. He may not have made money from them. Some of his negatives may be irretrievably damaged. But the awards endorse him as one of the century's greatest film makers. Likewise, every year, some truly remarkable Indians win fame and encouragement to pursue their excellent work through different awards but the most notable among them are the three National Awards: the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. I am not even counting the Bharat Ratna here. There are only five Bharat Ratnas living among us: two singers, a musician, a scientist and an economist. Average age: 80.

That’s why we value the National Awards. That’s also why it’s important that they are chosen carefully, transparently, wisely. We cannot allow yet another institution to be subverted. That would not only destroy the awards but also undermine the achievements of all those remarkable men and women who have received them over the years. This is possibly their only claim to posterity in an age when popular media has made it impossible for us to recall anything beyond the immediate and the in-the-face. So when a Sant Singh Chatwal is awarded a Padma Bhushan after facing five CBI cases for cheating banks in India and other frauds in the US, it’s a shame that will take us years to live down. Interestingly, our Embassy in Washington DC was asked to recommend him for a Padma Shri. When they refused, his award was upgraded to a Padma Bhushan as if to score a point. Now the only way the Government can save its face is if Chatwal quietly returns the award and saves everyone the blushes. But will he? And will we ever get to know who recommended him?

Tips and Tricks to Crack GATE-2010 Exam...

GATE exam is used for entrance into M.E./M.TECH. in various engineering colleges in India (including the IITs and IISC). Some Tips and Tricks to Crack GATE Exam are not only by joining an institute or joining online class rooms but the Systematic preparation is only the way to qualify this exam.

I have following suggestions for you :

1. Bring previous year question papers
2. Start back study (i.e. pick up question and find the solution) I personally believe if you practice to solve all the question from the previous asked (at least 6-8 year) you can definitely qualify the exam.
3. Another important fact is: do not answer wrong during the examination even your total score is only 35 to 45 % (mostly people could not qualify exam because they attemt to answer wrong question).
4. Keep in mind, most of the time negative marking is only responsible to the failure.
I hope if you follow all these suggestion you will definitely qualify the exam.
5. You check the syllabus of the GATE exam on IIT sites.
6. Find out your weak subjects in the GATE syllabus.
7. Give more thrust to weak subject.
8. collect various questions which are having some tricky logic

Preparation Tips for GATE Exam :



1.Material Collection

* Syllabus
* All the relevant books based on the subject(Divide the books in two groups – (1) Fundamental and basic concepts (2) Problem oriented
* Some books helpful for pre-requisite knowledge on the subject
* Some good guide books for GATE
* Previous questions papers ( Click Here )

2.Keep contact with some expert and GATE experienced persons

3.Study – Syllabus and Previous questions papers

4.Start from the first chapter

* read at least 5 books, it will widen your knowledge (if necessary consult with the books for pre-requisite knowledge or with some expert)
* Note down the probable concepts(definitions, unit, dimension etc.)
* Note down necessary theories, formulae etc
* Solve problems as maximum as possible(from text books, Guide books etc)
* Think about various tricks in solving problems(if necessary, note it)
* Go for series of self tests based on this chapter(take other’s help to conduct tests)
* Continue the self tests until getting a very good score

5.Solve more and more problems, discover more and more new tricks…

6.Follow the same procedure for the rest chapters

7.Finally, go for self tests based on whole syllabus(take other’s help to conduct these tests)

8.On the exam day…you will be at the Pick, who can stop you?


Click this link for Gate Question PaperS

GATE - 99 percentile in 60 days

"THE GRADUATE APTITUDE TEST IN ENGINEERING (GATE) IS AN ALL-INDIA EXAMINATION ADMINISTERED AND CONDUCTED IN EIGHT ZONES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY THE GATE COMMITTEE COMPRISING FACULTY FROM INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, BANGALORE AND SEVEN INDIAN INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATING BOARD - GATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (MHRD), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA"

After pursuing engineering, all engineering students stand at the crossroad of making a decisive choice so as to explore interesting avenues as a choice for their careers. A majority of people opt for mainly two things that are management or M.Tech. With the current economic scenario of the India, there are various colleges that are not able to give 100% placement to their students. This results in candidates making a tough choice between management and M.Tech. In order to get admission in M.Tech the examination that holds significant importance on national as well as international level is GATE. So, if you are the one seeking admission in post-graduation programmes in reputed engineering colleges and institutes in India, you need to crack GATE. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), is an All-India examination that holds high significant and is conducted in eight zones across India by the GATE committee. The main objective of GATE test is to identify the quality of students and assess their potential to continue higher education. By conducting GATE, it becomes easy to evaluate the students on the required skill scale and consistency to pursue higher studies in the field of engineering. With the cut-throat competition, even those who save more than 85% in the GATE examination, lag behind in getting admissions into the reckoned institutions such as NITs and IITs. The questions of GATE are usually the derivation of fundamentals and preparation of GATE is an ongoing process and is supposed to take place in varied stages. Prepare your best with the fundamentals and then test yourself those fundamentals. There are students who prepare at home with the number of book options available in the market today. Then there are few aspirants who opt for correspondence coaching courses. A coaching material cannot be assessed until one goes through the same word by word. Hence GATE aspirants can go by some tips of their seniors. Those who are getting regular classroom coaching need to check whether the institute suits their requirement or not by considering some of the following parameters: • Distinct Study Material- Now-a-days all the coaching institutes offer study material for assistance in studies. But if this material simply copy paste or re-write of materials taken from other books then these hold minimal importance. In comparison to all this, there are several standard books on each subject by good authors which can make your study enjoyable as well as interesting. • Compilation of quality books- While studying theory, conceptualization and building application capabilities, and one needs good collection of books, which can really put our brain on exercise. Ensure that your coaching institute has a collection of good and informative books. • Flexibility- There are aspirants who have slow or fast grasping power than the average. In such cases, it is better to ascertain the model that suits your needs and provide enough guidance to you at the same time. • Tests and Evaluation Model- Ensure and track your progress through a set of tests and evaluation as this is the most crucial part of the preparation. This is the main area where the students fail due to lack of essential test and evaluation material. Gateprep is specially designed for GATE aspirants. It aims to facilitate engineering graduates or those perusing their B Sc eventually getting M Tech degrees from one of the premier institution of the country like the IITs, IISc & Tata Institute

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd needs 200 engineers in 2010 : Recruitment besd on GATE score

Applications are invited for the position of Engineers/ Graduate Apprentice Engineers (GAEs) in the following engineering disciplines:

• Chemical Engineering (Including Petrochemicals engineering)
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Instrumentation Engineering (Including Electronics & Instrumentation engineering but excluding Electronics & Communication engineering/ Telecommunication engineering)
• Mechanical Engineering (excluding Production/ Manufacturing/ Industrial engineering)
• Metallurgical Engineering


Important Date:
13th February 2010 is the last date for receiving application On-Line

The eligibility criteria regarding prescribed educational qualification, age and other eligibility criteria and application procedure is mentioned below:

Educational Qualification:
• Candidates should have passed qualifying degree examinations and awarded bachelor’s degree in engineering/ technology in the above mentioned disciplines (full time regular courses only) from recognized Indian Universities / Institutes.
• Candidates (belonging to general and OBC category) should have secured minimum 65% marks in qualifying degree examinations. It is relaxed to pass class for SC/ST/PH candidates. Candidates currently in final year of their engineering studies may also apply. However, if selected, they must be in a position to submit their final mark sheet by 31st July 2010.

Age Limit:
• Maximum 26 years as on 30th June, 2010 for the general category candidates. Age relaxation for OBC (Non Creamy Layer)/SC/ST/PH candidates will be applicable as per the Presidential Directive.

Physical Fitness:
Desirous candidates seeking employment with IndianOil needs to be medically fit as per IndianOil’s pre-employment medical standard. Candidates are advised to go through the ‘Guidelines and Criteria for Physical Fitness for Pre-employment medical Examination’ before they commence the application process.

Selection, Training and Placement:
The selection methodology will comprise of the following:
• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineers (GATE) 2010 score of the candidates in the concerned disciplines. The graduate engineers from the relevant disciplines, desirous of taking up a career with IndianOil are required to appear in GATE-2010 in the same disciplines.
• On the basis of GATE-2010 score, the candidates will be short listed for further selection process comprising of:
o Group Discussion / Group Task
o Personal Interview for assessment of different facets of knowledge, skill, attitude and aptitude.

Candidates will have to qualify through each stage of selection process successfully before being adjudged as suitable for selection. Selected candidates shall have all-India transfer liability and may be posted to any Division / Unit / Subsidiary Company / Office of the Corporation. General category candidates will have to execute a bond of Rs.1,00,000 (Rs.25000/- for SC/ST/OBC & PH candidates) to serve the Corporation for a minimum period of three years from the date of joining (date of appointment as Engineer in case of GAEs after successful completion of training).

Remuneration Package:
Engineers/ Officers:
Candidates selected as engineers/officers will receive a provisional starting basic pay of Rs.23000/-per month. In addition, the selected candidates will receive Dearness Allowance (DA) and other allowances, according to the rules of the Corporation in force, as amended from time to time.Other allowances / benefits include HRA / subsidized housing accommodation (depending upon place of posting), medical facilities, performance related pay, gratuity, contributory provident fund, employees pension scheme, group personal accident insurance scheme, leave encashment, leave travel concession (LTC)/ LFA, contributory superannuation benefit fund scheme, house building advance(HBA), conveyance advance/ maintenance reimbursement, professional updation allowance, lap-top computer, children’s education allowance etc. as per rules. The Cost-to-Company (CTC), in case of a metro city posting, will be around Rs. 7.60 lakhs per annum inclusive of performance related pay (PRP)

Graduate Apprentice Engineers (GAEs):
Candidates selected as GAEs for one-year apprenticeship training will be paid consolidated stipend @ Rs.20,000/- per month. Upon successful completion of apprenticeship training, they may be appointed as engineers in the scale of pay referred above.




How to apply:
1. GATE-2010 is scheduled on 14th February 2010. For detailed information on GATE-2010, interested candidates may log on to websites of other IITs and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

2. Candidates need to purchase the GATE application form as per the information provided in GATE-2010 websites. They should fill-in and submit the GATE application form as instructed by the GATE authorities and wait for the admit card to get the GATE registration number.
3. The candidates will receive their GATE-2010 registration number printed on their admit card. On receipt of GATE registration number, the candidates need to apply in IndianOil on-line.

Apply Online
Click above to
apply on-line

4. Candidates should click on the on-line application link, read the instructions carefully and fill-in the on-line application form giving accurate information including the GATE-2010 registration number.
5. Upon completion, the candidate should submit the online application by clicking the Submit button at the bottom of the page. If the same is accepted, the system will generate a unique application ID along with the completed application form.
6. Candidate should take a print out of completed application, affix his/her recent passport size photograph, put his/ her signature at the space provided and keep with him/ her safely for future reference. The passport size photograph affixed by the candidate should be the same submitted along with GATE application form. In case the candidate called for GD/GT and interview, he/she should come with this printed application form, along with GATE-2010 admit card and GATE-2010 official score card.
7. 13th February 2010 is the last date for receiving application On-Line.

More Information
Click above for more
Information about Indian Oil