Sun Microsystems Inc. Lamb was told they'd be at his Waltham, Mass., office Nov. 27. Only days after placing the order, Lamb learned the workstations were being auctioned by Sun on eBay Inc.'s online auctioning site. And the workstations were delivered the next week. For a company looking to buy in small quantities, like we buy, price is definitely a factor.
Immediate availability is also a big plus.
Sun, of Palo Alto, Calif., is the latest company to do so. Last week, it unveiled Sun Bid, an auction initiative through which the company will sell new products to its iForce resellers and corporate customers. Sun Bid will be up and running this week for 750 Sun resellers and corporate accounts and will be available to everyone else early next year. Sun is not alone among computer systems makers. That service is expected to begin this month.