Solaris will be available for free

At yesterday's official launch of the new Solaris 10 operating system in San Jose, Calif., Sun executives said Solaris will be issued next January under an "open-source" licensing plan similar to that used by the rival operating system Linux and the popular new &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/07/01/31474_.html ' target=_blank>Web browser Firefox.

Like Linux and Firefox, Solaris 10 will be available for free downloading over the Internet. Large corporate customers can pay for a Solaris contract, and get technical support and the latest bug fixes, for less than they now pay to buy Solaris outright, informs Boston Globe.

According to the Denver Post, by offering the Solaris 10 operating system for free, Sun hopes that customers will then sign up for its service contracts - which range from $120 to $360 per year, per person.