Sun servers heading back to Intel chips

Sun Microsystems is expected to resume using Intel's Xeon processors in its x86 servers, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Jonathan Schwartz and Paul Otellini, the chief executives of Sun and Intel, respectively, are expected to share the stage in San Francisco on Monday to announce a broad partnership between the two companies.

The first servers from the partnership will begin arriving soon--in the first half of 2007--and Sun also will sell Xeon-based workstations, sources said.

In addition, Otellini plans to endorse the x86 version of Sun's Solaris operating system, elevating it to the mainstream status enjoyed by Windows and Linux. That means the chipmaker will devote engineering resources to validate the software and help with hardware support such as support for chip power management.

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