Sun outshines rivals in Unix server sales

Sun Microsystems dominated worldwide Unix server sales in the third quarter of last year, according to figures from researcher IDC.

Sun Microsystems dominated worldwide Unix server sales in the third quarter of last year, according to figures from researcher IDC.

The vendor shipped the most entry-level, mid-range and high-end servers, beating rivals Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM and Compaq. But Big Blue saw its share of the mid-range Unix server market grow by 71 per cent, compared with Sun's 40 per cent.

In the entry-level category, Sun grabbed 44 per cent of the market by shipping 88,108 servers and generating turnover of $1.18m. IDC defines the entry-level market as machines that cost up to $100,000.

In the mid-range space, Sun shipped 8110 units, about 43 per cent of units shipped, followed by HP with 5182 units (27 per cent), IBM with 1927 units (10 per cent) and Compaq with 1676 (nine per cent).

HP held on to its lead in the mid-range market with turnover of $942m, compared with Sun's $902m. IBM made $739m from sales of servers priced between $100,000 and $1m, while Compaq generated turnover of $291m.

Big Blue also claimed that its share during the third quarter rose by eight points, compared with Sun's four-point growth. IBM attributed the growth to the introduction of its M80, H80 and F80 servers.

In the $1m-plus high-end sector, Sun shipped 723 units, grabbing a 62 per cent market share and generating $750m in turnover. HP sold 158 units for $147m, while IBM sold 80 units worth $190m.

According to IDC, the total Unix server market grew by 20 per cent in the quarter and Sun was the market leader for the 14th consecutive quarter.