The “grey market” is a tempting way to make a saving on new technology – but it’s not worth the risk.

At Sun, we’ve spent the last 24 years crafting friendships and partnerships with our customers: by innovating the very best technology, maintaining rigorous quality standards, and focusing on the individual needs of businesses. That’s why our customers trust us to help solve their issues time and again, with advice and products they can rely on.

Sun partners are the best of the best – but there are also plenty of unlicensed, unaccredited companies out there. They attract unsuspecting purchasers by claiming a big saving over list price, reselling technology on what’s known as the grey market.

Grey Market Resellers The stakes are too high Grey market resellers may ship systems loaded with potentially unlawful, unlicensed software, which won’t stand up to audits; normally only Sun or its authorised resellers can transfer Solaris licenses. They may deliver hardware without a Sun warranty and ineligible for authorised Sun support services. Their servers, storage and workstations may contain counterfeit components, which fail to comply with the latest regulations. Some of these companies even sell stolen goods.

Sun Authorised Partners Know who to trust Sun have certified a network of exceptional resellers, distributors and system integrators as our partners. Sun partners have access to our expertise and training, and are expressly licensed to sell our products. Customers can rely on Sun partners to sell the latest solutions from Sun, with the backing of full warranty and service support, legitimate software licenses, and a dedication to meeting your needs.   Authorised Partner List »

Getting on the right track

Grey market resellers create business risk for you, from hardware failure, poor product performance - even investigation by law enforcement agencies. When your server fails and your vendor leaves you unsupported, that bargain purchase price doesn’t look such good value.

Through our authorised partner list and certification scheme, Sun is taking action against unlicensed grey marketers. At the same time, you need to be aware of the risks and use an authorised Sun partner when you make your purchase. It’s easier than ever to find the right partner for you.