Oracle is rewriting its business applications in Java, Ellison said.

Presenting a stark contrast from Oracle's recent emphasis on Intel and Linux, which compete with Sun's systems, the two CEO's systems instead emphasized common interest, but Ellison noted the partnership was not exclusive. Oracle will continue its endeavors in Linux and with the Eclipse open source tools endeavor that has rivaled Sun's NetBeans open source platform.

"I don't want to imply that our only partner here is Sun just as Sun doesn't want to imply going forward that its only partner is Oracle," Ellison said.

Oracle did note that it also backs NetBeans. However, Sun's Timothy Cramer, director of the NetBeans program at Sun, said the companies still were exploring exactly what types of collaboration the two companies will have with regard to NetBeans.

The session featured the usual potshots at rival Microsoft, which Ellison called proprietary; at SAP, which Ellison also called proprietary; and IBM, with McNealy bashing the IBM Global Services group. Asked about Sun's ongoing partnership with Microsoft, McNealy said Tuesday's forum was not the place to delve into that.