Sun will present a range of new programs Tuesday at the company's SunTone + iForce Service Provider Conference in Santa Clara, California. The new programs include new SunTone certifications for storage services, new SunTone configurations, new SunTone services for small providers and new go-to-market programs for companies with SunTone certified solutions.
Sun says it is investing in the outsourced services model in order to boost its success. The company points out that by building to SunTone standards, companies can go to market with Sun's commitment to drive business to service providers with certified solutions.
The new SunTone certification for storage services operates by certifying a storage service provider's primary, secondary, and backup/recovery services. The first two companies to receive the SunTone certification for storage services are Arsenal Digital Solutions, for its Managed Disk and Backup & Restore services, and Storage Networks for its DataPACS, NetPACS, BackPACS, SafePACS and STORmanage data storage management services.
By adding SunTone Configurations to the certification program, the company says it is providing building blocks for service providers that have been designed, sized and tested to suit the certification programs best practices.
The new SunTone Services for Service Providers, says the company, will help businesses build to SunTone standards by offering consulting, training, and support programs from a staff of dedicated service experts.
Sun says the certification program allows businesses to take advantage of new initiatives including compensation models that urge iForce partners and Sun's sales force to drive customer demand, partner co-marketing funds, and discounts on Sun products.
The SunTone certification is already awarded in three areas, including service provider services, hosted applications and integrator services. Since October, when Sun added integrator services to the list, more than 175 companies have applied for certification in that area alone.
The program was originally launched in May, 1999, and has since gained strong support. More than 1,400 companies have applied for SunTone certification, and more than 90 solutions have received the seal of approval.