Schwartz: 'the network is the movie theater'

[Jonathan Schwartz (r) chatting with Walt Mossberg]

Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz has a good piece ostensibly supporting Sun's JavaOne announcements. But the quote that grabbed me--tossed in as an aside,was a parody on Sun's old ad campaign,"The network is the computer." Schwartz's paraphrase: "...the network is the movie theater."

The Internet has become a superior distribution for movies and the advertisers who support them. Businesses do not care whether you watch a movie on a TV, in an airplane seat, or on your mobile device. They care about getting closer to you as a customer.

On a day when there is much alleged news about TV set tops, "a new,improved ABCNews.com, which turns out to be no more than a redesigned web site, it is important that the power of the Internet is in it's distribution capability.

As for Schwartz, I am a fan, not because he is a blogging CEO, but because he is among the most quotable CEOs.