OStatic

As Kristin noted this morning, the Wall Street Journal's report that IBM is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems doesn't make the deal a foregone conclusion, but there are a lot of reasons why it's likely to happen. Given the waiting game that Sun has been playing for its open source strategy to pay off, and how perilous that's been for the company, I agree with Kristin that an IBM acquisition may be good news for Sun. Still, Sun is one of only a few public open source companies, and if it's no longer independent, will that be negative for open source?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that IBM is currently in talks to purchase Sun Microsystems. The acquisition is not a foregone conclusion, due in part to the very different corporate cultures in the companies. Some believe this tension will ultimately help both companies succeed, if they can just get through the talks.

The acquisition could take place as early as this week, and it is speculated that IBM could pay over $6.5 billion for Sun. Sun's recent financials have been more than a little disappointing, and this purchase would take a toll on IBM's profits in the short term. Business isn't solely about the short term, however, and I can't help but agree with the WSJ, CNet's Matt Asay, and at least a few of those involved in the talks that this acquisition would be a positive one for IBM, Sun, and open source in general.