Sun is cutting its Linux staff. News has reached the IT world of a "significant number of employees" who were involved in Linux projects getting given the boot. Sun said that these layoffs were planned, and that this is part of its strategy to streamline. No figures exist as to how many jobs were cut, but somewhere around 2000 people is probably right.

The move does not however (according to Sun) signify an end to its Linux efforts. In fact, Sun have said that they are still committed to offering Linux as a server or workstation OS.

In a statement Sun spokeswoman Stephanie Von Allmen however said that another reason of the cuts were prioritization efforts: "Notification was given on February 15 to those employees within Sun's Software organization whose jobs are being eliminated as a result of Software's prioritization and cost reduction efforts." She said the company does not intend to abandon Linux and it remained "committed to providing customers a choice by offering Linux on the server when a customer asks for it and on the desktop with the Sun Java Desktop System."