Looks like Amazon and Google - and even Microsoft - have placed better bets in the cloud computing space than Sun has. Their flagship Network service model is shutting down:

Sun Microsystems has killed it's once high-profile utility computing experiment, Network.com, which let customers buy computing power by the hour.

The company revealed it's no longer accepting new customers after four years, saying parts of the business and technology model "were not in the sweet spot". The 13 customers and 48 applications using Network.com are will be offered continued service.

This might be another case where being an early mover in a space isn't necessarily a winning strategy. Sun got into this space quickly, but Amazon and Google quickly released systems that lined up with actual demand a lot better. Now they have the really hard task of trying to get back in without seeming like a "me too" follower.

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