SUN MICROSYSTEMS REAFFIRMS THE POWER OF INNOVATION IN OPEN SOURCE

Launches Open Innovation Portal

New Delhi, February 18, 2009 — Sun Microsystems today reaffirmed its commitment to

open source as a catalyst to encouraging innovation in the country through the launch of

the first ever Open Innovation Portal at the Centre for Excellence in E-governance,

Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi with JNU and Knowledge Commons as a

collaborators .

The portal (www.innovationcommons.org) was launched here today by Mr. Joe Hartley,

VP of Global Education, Government, and Healthcare, Sun Microsystems and Prof S. S.

Yadav, Head of Department, Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi in presence

of other dignitaries which included Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director- MAIT, Dr

Andrew Lynn, Professor, JNU and Mr Prabir Purkayastha, President, Knowledge

Commons.

The objective behind the launch of this Open Innovation Portal is to foster the

development of participative innovation in society and to help transition the economy into

an innovation economy. The Portal is an initiative by the Centre for Excellence in Egovernance,

Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi, Sun Microsystems,

Jawahar Lal Nehru University and Knowledge Commons.

Mr. Krishnakant Mane, a visually challenged computer scientist entered the first idea into

the portal today. The idea revolved around creation of a new device that would help the

visually challenged to have better access to print media. Mr Krishnakant Mane used the

ORCA screen reader to enter his innovation. ORCA is a cutting edge open source

accessibility solution that was initiated by Sun Microsystems to help the differently abled

people to access computers. Dr Jaijit Bhattacharya, Country Director, Government

Strategy, Sun Microsystems also noted that ORCA could be easily used in India to help

the illiterates access computers and e-Governance solutions, especially since ORCA is a

Free and Open Source software.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Joe Hartley, VP of Global Education, Government,

and Healthcare, Sun Microsystems said, “Sun knows that communities drive

innovation. The Innovation Portal therefore allows for collaboration between members of

a society to foster innovation. This is in line with Sun’s vision of the Participation Age

where Sun believes the world has entered a new era where dramatically lowered

barriers to entry, plummeting device prices, and near-universal connectivity are driving a

new round of network participation. The growth in the network economy is fueled by

sharing and collaboration among communities interconnected by technology and driven

by purpose. Sun also believes that sharing and collaboration in the Participation Age will

stimulate innovation to help all participants from across the world grow and prosper.”

The Open Innovation Portal will allow innovators from the scientific community, student

community and from all walks of life to publish their innovations with no IPR

encumbrances, for the whole world to benefit. It will also help others to add to an Open

Innovation that has been published online, thus enabling the process of participative

innovation.

Dr. Jaijit Bhattacharya, Director, Government Strategy, Sun Microsystems India

said, “The Open Innovation Portal will be complimentary to the existing IPR framework

and will cater to those innovations that come below the bar for a patent application and

will cater to those innovators who cannot afford the patenting process. This is especially

true in the Emerging Economies scenario where standalone innovators may or may not

have the financial wherewithal to file the patent.”

The Centre for Excellence in E-governance is an outcome of the MoU signed by Sun

Microsystems and IIT Delhi in September 2006. One of the primary objectives behind

setting up this Centre of E-Governance is to promote technology usage in the society.

This is possible only if new ideas are fostered, and allowed to incubate. This once again

is tied to the setting up of the Innovation Portal.

About Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided

by singular vision –”The Network is the Computer(TM)” — Sun drives network

participation through shared innovation, community development and open source

leadership. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at

http://sun.com

# # #

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Sun Blade, Sun Ray, and The Network Is

The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the

United States and other countries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Bipasha Chakrabarti

PR and Communications Manager

Sun Microsystems India Pvt. Ltd.

Ph: 080- 66930600 ext 89659

Email: bipasha.chakrabarti {at} sun(.)com

Manpreet Singh / Krityanand Kundan

Vaishnavi Corporate Communications,

9810286337 / 9990099562

manpreet.singh {at} vccpl(.)com / Krityanand.Kundan {at} vccpl(.)com