SUMMARY: Sun resellers actually able to quote on new products?

My query:

> [ I hesitated sending this to the list, but as I read the charter, this
should be tolerable - apologies if it seems marginal ]
> We're trying to quote/order a number of X4270M2's, which have been announced
for a while now.
> I'm told that our usual vendors now fall into two camps
> #1: Waiting on Oracle, can't quote. Some give more detail about why, eg.
Oracle hasn't given discount info on new models
> #2: We don't offer good pricing on Sun anymore. How about HP, or IBM?
> So, who out there is actually about to quote and accept orders for the newer
models?  I'll summarize responses appropriately.
> (Aside: I demo'd an HP box and wasn't impressed with design or
manageability.  Haven't tried IBM.

Thanks to all who responded.  As usual, responses were the usual mixed bag,
with a couple of on-target insights.  Unfortunately there's little indication
that Oracle, despite recently announcing new Sun products, will actually let
them be bought.

o Several people told me to try Dell (eg. R510) / IBM (x series)  /HP gear --
none of which AFAICT has a usable serial console.  Shipping a keyboard,
monitor, and interpreter around the country/world to install systems isn't
feasible for us, nor is DHCP.

o A number of respondents supplied the names of various VARs saying that
they'd been great in the past -- apparently with older x64 systems, or SPARC
gear.

o A number also said that they're moving away from Sun gear/OS to various
flavors of Linux on various gear

o A couple said to talk to our Sun/Oracle rep.  I've tried that - no response
at all.

o Several said to order directly from Sun/Oracle.  That'd be fine if we didn't
mind losing the traditional 20-30% VAR discount.

o There seems to be an indication that Oracle is favoring a direct-sales
model, though they've made recent vague statements about how VARs are
important to them.  A couple of on-the-ball VARs wrote with more concrete
information:  it seems that Sun/Oracle hasn't given discounting information on
Category U systems to VARs, which includes the X4270M2.  VARs have to submit
one-off RFQ's to Oracle right now for custom pricing.  Many either don't know
about this or feel that it's too much hassle.  Those who are willing/able
indicate that Oracle wants to know who the buyer is, where they are, what they
do, what they want to run on the box, etc.  There's some claim that this
situation will be improved RSN, or "this winter".  The respondent who asserted
the former hinted about some big deal covered by NDA -- we'll see.  I'm hoping
that "this winter" comes sooner rather than later, as it's difficult to get
purchases put through our finance people on either side of the year boundary.

o One VAR offered, for some reason, to sell me SPARC CMT systems.

o One respondent suggested his Sun/Oracle contact, who always gives instant
quotes, but being military/government might be a factor there, and again it's
not clear if that extends to the new Cat U systems.

o Also, in the time since I sent the original message, it's come out that
Oracle will be discontinuing sales of standalone J4000-series disk arrays, but
will sell them as expansion for 7000-series NAS systems.  I just don't
understand a move Oracle's made.  Why did they buy Sun if they don't want to
let us buy product???
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