Simon Phipps

Simon Phipps is a computer scientist and web and open source advocate. Phipps was instrumental in IBM's involvement in the Java programming language, founding IBM's Java Technology Center. He left IBM for Sun Microsystems in 2000, taking leadership of Sun's open source programme. Under Phipps, most of Sun's core software was released under open source licenses, including Solaris and Java.

Simon Phipps

Phipps was not hired into Oracle as part of the acquisition of Sun Microsystems and his final day was March 8, 2010 when the two entities combined. Following Sun, he spent a year as Chief Strategy Officer of identity startup ForgeRock before becoming an independent consultant.

Quotes

• The way that big software companies used to make software was hiring all the smart people, locking them in a room, and sliding pizza under the door, until they had written whatever needed writing. And then selling tickets to get into the room.
  • Keynote Speech at FOSDEM 2007: Liberating Java

• Sun is one of many US companies that file software patents regularly, the reason we file software patents regularly is the same reason that Americans buy guns. Americans buy guns, because Americans buy guns. American corporations file software patents because American corporations file software patents."
  • Keynote Speech at FOSDEM 2007: Liberating Java