Posted by : trraju on Oct 25, 2003 - 06:35 AM Hardware

TOKYO, Oct 22, 2003 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- Fujitsu Ltd. and Sun Microsystems Inc. of the United States have reached a basic agreement to integrate their high-performance computer server operations, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Thursday.
The firms will standardize designs for Unix servers as early as 2004, and production of high-end units will be consolidated at a Fujitsu subsidiary in Japan, the business daily said.

Citing data from Dataquest Inc., a market research firm of GartnerGroup Inc., the paper said if the two companies consolidate the business, they would control more than 40% of the world market of Unix servers, topping the 32% of Hewlett-Packard Co. in 2002.

The paper said Sun Chairman Scott McNealy met with Fujitsu Chairman Naoyuki Akikusa on Wednesday in Tokyo and confirmed that the two companies will reach a final agreement by the end of this year.

High-end computer servers are used in Internet infrastructure and core information networks for corporations.