Following the appointment of Jonathan Schwartz to the position of president and CEO of Sun Microsystems, the company today announced that John Loiacono, 43, has been named executive vice president of software. Effective immediately, Loiacono will lead the division responsible for delivering on Sun's network computing strategy with a portfolio of highly integrated, end-to-end software systems, including the Linux-based Java Desktop System.

Schwartz said. "John has the right energy and aggressiveness to take Sun's software to the next level, building on our most recent successes with alternative desktops, the dramatic growth and acceptance of the Java platform, the Solaris Operating System, developer tools and initiatives, and the Java Enterprise System, while creating new opportunities and innovations in the marketplace," Schwartz said.

"Under Jonathan's leadership, Sun's disruptive actions are shattering conventional wisdom within the software industry," Loiacono commented. "We will build on our new collaboration with Microsoft and plans to provide the most Microsoft-interoperable software available, while continuing to focus on delivering end-to-end network solutions - from the data center and desktop environments, to mobile devices and smart cards."

Prior to his new role, Loiacono was senior vice president of Sun's operating platforms group and was responsible for the strategic direction of the Solaris and Linux platforms, as well as the Java Enterprise System. He was instrumental in delivering the Solaris OS on all relevant platforms, including SPARC, AMD Opteron, and Intel/Xeon processors. Before that, Loiacono held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Sun where he managed Sun's overall brand, marketing, and marketing communications strategy. Loiacono has been with Sun since 1987.

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