Sun to add Microsoft Windows to servers

This should benefit both of them in the long run . With a security deposit of pocketed $1.95 billion in their pockets, Sun shouldn't find this difficult

Sun Microsystems Inc. will begin building servers with onetime foe Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system installed directly in them, instead of forcing customers to install the ubiquitous software on their own or defect to a competitor for one-stop shopping.

The agreement announced Wednesday is the latest twist in a truce the companies, once bitter rivals, hammered out in 2004, when Sun pocketed $1.95 billion in a settlement payout from Microsoft over antitrust and patent allegations, and both companies vowed to make their products work better together.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun will begin incorporating Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 software into its so-called x64 servers, which are corporate computers that run on 64-bit microprocessors from Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Servers are the computers in corporate data centers that process large amounts of data such as Internet traffic or financial calculations.

Although Sun customers have been able to run Microsoft’s operating system on Sun servers for several years, Sun would not install it in the factory. That left customers who wanted Windows in the lurch unless they wanted to install it on their own or already had licensing contracts with Microsoft, in which case Sun would install it.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, stands to gain from the agreement because of Sun’s reach in the server world. Sun is the world’s No. 3 server seller with 13% of the worldwide market, behind IBM Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., according to the latest data from market researcher IDC.

Denmark happiest country in the in the world

Denmark, with its democracy, social equality and peaceful atmosphere, is said to be the happiest country in the world, researchers said. Zimbabwe, torn by political and social strife, is the least happy, while the world's richest nation, the United States, ranks 16th.

Overall, the world is getting happier, according to the US government-funded World Values Survey, done regularly by a global network of social scientists. It found increased happiness from 1981 to 2007 in 45 of 52 countries analysed.

Venus Williams wins Fifth Wimbledon title

Venus Williams beat younger sister Serena to claim her fifth Wimbledon crown on Saturday.

The defending champion recovered from a whirlwind start to land her seventh Grand Slam title courtesy of a 7-5, 6-4 win. Venus paid tribute to the performance of Serena, who had looked as if she might blast her big sister off court in the opening games.

She said that she couldn't believe it was five, mainly because she was in the final against and five seemed so far away.

She also admitted that she never found it easy to take on Serena, who comfortably won their previous Wimbledon finals, in 2002 and 2003.

Serena, who had won five of her previous six Grand Slam finals against her sister, admitted things had not gone as she expected.

Serena said that she was happy that at least one of them could win and that they were glad to be in the final.

Nestor and Zimonjic win Wimbledon doubles title

Second seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic defeated Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 to win their first Wimbledon doubles title on Saturday.

Bjorkman's hopes of lifting a fourth Wimbledon doubles title before retiring at the end of the season fizzled out in the third set, Nestor and Zimonjic getting a break of serve in the fourth game, rescuing a break point in the process.

Serbia's Zimonjic celebrates winning his first grand slam title having lost in the final at Wimbledon in 2004 and 2006, and the French Open earlier this year.

Kakkar is regional head of Unilever

Hindustan Unilever executive director (sales & customer development) Sanjiv Kakkar has been appointed Chairman, Unilever Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (RUB), with effect from the month of September 1, 2008.

Kakkar will be replaced by Hemant Bakshi, who returns to HUL from South Asia Unilever, where he is currently regional category vice president, skin. Bakshi, who joined the company in June 1989 and has worked in various sales and marketing assignments spanning personal products and home care categories, will be part of HUL's management committee.

Sanjiv Kakkar, who joined HUL in 1984 and has worked in sales and marketing assignments, was appointed as exexecutive director (sales and customer development) in May 2007.