Sun reorganises to improve customer focus

Sun Microsystems has announced a realignment of its business aimed at increasing customer focus and emphasis on product delivery.

The company has established a single global sales operation, a customer advocacy function, and has merged its computer systems and microelectronics groups into a system products group.

Sun will also establish a single, worldwide operations group with responsibility for all operations, supply chain and purchasing within the company. All changes will come into effect in July.

Edward Zander, Sun's president and chief operating officer, said: "This realignment will put even greater emphasis on a single face to the customer, a best-of-breed selling model, and increased focus on product execution."

"It also gives us an opportunity to create a cross-company focus on availability and quality."

The global sales operations group will incorporate all of Sun's current sales organisations, except the iPlanet and Forte software sales.

Masood Jabbar, former head of Sun's computer systems group, will be senior vice president of the new division.

The customer advocacy function, reporting directly to the president and chief operating officer, will cover all quality and availability issues across Sun.

The company's merged computer systems and microelectronics product groups will hold responsibility for all servers, workstations, enterprise appliances and Sparc/Majc microprocessors.