Internet service provider infrastructure | smart services | infrastructure supplier | software users

AW: Will the Internet service provider infrastructure be able to handle the expected increase in the demand load? And how can executives handle the information overload that implies?
McNealy: It's our job as an infrastructure supplier to build the products that will keep these companies ahead of the curve. Certainly, the challenges - and opportunities - are going to be enormous. We're seeing exponential increases in bandwidth, data, devices, and users - and that's the world we're addressing with our new products and our ongoing R&D.

The big opportunity is to harness the information explosion, to transform information overload into smart Web services that do a lot of the work for you. That's what the Sun Open Net Environment, Sun ONE, is all about. Imagine a calendar service interacting with a map service, so that your car gives you directions to your next appointment without having to be asked - it could even interact with a traffic service to help you avoid delays from road construction or a stalled vehicle. That's just one example. Millions more smart services are possible - and they're being developed today.

AW: One of the services greater bandwidth will enable is the application service provider model of computing, in which software users will essentially rent applications over the Internet instead of buying them for installation on each desktop. How well will the ASP model be accepted?
McNealy: We believe that service providers will revo-lutionize business in ways that selling dog food online never could - saving companies money and freeing them to concentrate on their core business rather than technology. Some cultural hurdles still need to be crossed before outsourcing reaches its true potential, but I think we're getting there. It's all about trust and quality of service, which we're addressing with our SunTone certification program. The SunTone program sets rigorous standards for building a highly reliable, highly scalable service-delivery environment - from architecture to operations, applications to security, service policies to technical competencies.