Some commentators have downplayed the partnership announcement, but I think this is more than a marketing agreement. Sun and Google are teaming up to go after Microsoft’s application and server revenue. Sun provides security and programming tools. And Google has the network services and applications. This is the first step in an important journey. Google has Gmail, a calendar function not yet public, the technology to deliver presentations, and a mathematical engine to drive spreadsheet services. Where the play is for Google is not public search, maps or search appliances. It is in transforming desktop applications into network services. Microsoft still embraces the desktop model. Google sees a network paradigm and has at least a six- to 18-month lead in hardware and software engineering over IBM, Microsoft and Yahoo. For more insight about Google’s challenge to Microsoft, see the last chapter of The Google Legacy.