Pay Close Attention- Oracle to Buy Sun

There are very good options to MySQL such as PostgreSQL ( http://www.postgresql.org/ ) and a new generation of (free) non-relational databases is just hitting the industry ( as an example http://couchdb.apache.org/ ). Anyway, MySQL is free software and that means that even if Oracle decides to not develop i anymore the community and other companies will continue -see Linux, Apache and many others. Most of the MySQL original team pretty left Sun last year anyway.

Cheers

Hmm, will will have to pay for MySQL now, or lose functionality?

That wouldn’t be good business or maybe its time for someone to step up with a new db platform for blogs….

I always thought MySQL was great for the web primarily because it was so popular (due to being mostly free) that it almost became a standard. I’m concerned that now people doing great work will have to decide on a new db platform and it may fracture their choices. Or it could just be postgres takes MySQL’s place.

It is definitely something to watch.

Logical move IMO.

With this aquisition they can reach out to large segment of market who do not necessarily need those big fat and costly enterprise level Databases.

Besides that afaik, Oracle’s main ERP competitor, SAP, supports MySql development so it makes sense there too ?

Thanks for sharing the development.

Oracle buying Sun for MYSQL is a red herring. Sun have been trying ( and failing ) to own open source projects for several years now. You only have to look to the last failed attempt. Star Office which subsequently became OpenOffice as it forked and evicted itself from Sun. Likewise MYSQL hasnt stopped in its tracks since Sun took over the team. This is because Open Source Software is not equal to the development team. Buying a team does not result in owning the licenses and when code like MYSQL gets into the discussion this is ever more so.

No Oracle in doing this are ensuring they have a hardware platform to support their very strong and enterprise capable databases. They can stop debating, cajoling and negotiating with Microsoft in order to gain support on a PC platform. They will cut MYSQL free and focus on delivering boxes in the same way that apple do. Well defined software on well defined hardware.

This is a VERY interesting part of the deal, and one that I completely missed in my initial reaction to the deal. The Sun hardware part isn’t too difficult to digest – Oracle has consistently demonstrated that it will support competing offerings, even if they have their own offering in the space, so HP and Dell won’t be left out in the cold (although joint Oracle-HP activity could obviously be affected). But the MySQL acquisition is a different story. Yes, Oracle offers several databases, but MySQL is a bit different. We’ll see how it turns out.

Yes I believe all possibilities are there. We don’t know what could happen and yes we just need to be aware of everything whether we like it or not. Many had been benefited with the free software, but I guess no matter what happen, I hope than everything will still be fine for most users.

I’m going to agree with @nicholas butler on this one. It is more about controlling the hardware rather than MySQL. Oracle folks don’t see MySQL as anything more than a “hobby database” and the fact that many blogs run on it proves their point. Oracle and SAP are in trade channels that would probably never consider MySQL or postgres for “serious” dbase work.

I hope those who belive Oracle will leave MySQL free untouched are correct. MySQL Community has allowed me to run a number of non critical databases for my organization. On the other hand when something secure is required we do opt for Oracle but at the apx $5K per core cost would basicly stop any innovation on small projects with good return for the company. I hope they see value in a basic, free database offering so that myself and those in a similar position can test and develop at little to no cost then upgrade easily to a more secure and stable product if we need to and can afford it.

@Nicholas – I don’t disagree that this is about the platform. It’s the unintended consequences of the deal that scare me.

I actually think that Oracle will make sure that MySQL will continue to do very well so that no other open source database enters the market and that it can create in a long run a support subscription business for companies who like MySQL but want to have support or want to have a migration path to a more scalable data grid when their needs evolve. In summary, MySQL is a great lead generation tool + developer mind share tool + open source strategy and Oracle will continue to make sure that it stays healthy.

In times where cloud computing is emerging and winning the market for applications, a software/data base company buys a server company.

A company that has always charged for any software or service, buys a company that has been giving away software for free since a decade.

We are happy to have taken the decision run our web service on PostgreSQL a long time ago.

I was acquired by Oracle when they purchased PeopleSoft but wasn’t happy there and left after six months. Some will stay, others will go. Even having left, I view Oracle purchase of Sun as a brilliant move.

I doubt Oracle has evil intentions for MySQL but will use it as a customer base to sell profitable Oracle products. For example if WordPress.org hosts blogs on MySQL why not look at Oracle RDBMS as their business scales? And what about small businesses who out grow other open source products like SugarCRM running on MySQL? Oracle has a robust solution for that also!

It’s a great strategy give something away for free (or very little) then start selling the profitable stuff. That strategy made Oracle the behemoth it is today. I recall buying SQLForms and a runtime version of Oracle for $99 many years ago. I and many like me dreamed of writing and selling commercial applications. Those who did, created an instant market for Oracle to sell database licenses to run those applications.

Oracle knows people choose software for their own reasons and forcing people to change is never a good sales strategy.

I predict smart Oracle technology reps will start working on enterprise accounts that use MySQL and show them the benefits of using a “real” database for their applications.