mySQL

Sources stated that MySQL will be an addition to Oracle’s existing suite of database products.

News that Oracle is buying Sun broke just as 1,800 or so database programmers and open-source aficionados were gathering this week in Santa Clara for the annual MySQL Conference and Expo. Ironically, a lot of the buzz at last year’s conference focused on Sun’s recently completed $1 billion acquisition of MySQL, and how the popular open-source database program would fare under Sun’s leadership.

MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that has more than 11 million installations. MySQL is named after Monty Widenius’s daughter My. The program runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. MySQL is officially pronounced /maɪˌɛskjuːˈɛl/ (My S-Q-L), but often pronounced /maɪˌsiː’kwɛl/ (My SeQueL).

The project has made its source code available under the terms of the GNU General Public License, as well as under a variety of proprietary agreements. MySQL is owned and sponsored by a single for-profit firm, the Swedish company MySQL AB, now a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems. As of 2009 Oracle Corporation began the process of acquiring Sun Microsystems.

MySQL is often used in free software projects that require a full-featured database management system, such as WordPress, phpBB and other software built on the LAMP software stack. It is also used in many high-profile, large-scale World Wide Web products including Wikipedia, Google and Facebook.

Oracle seeks to acquire MySQL to prevent further erosion of its share of the market for database software licenses and services, and to protect the high prices now charged for its proprietary database software licenses and services.

If Oracle is allowed to acquire MySQL, it will predictably limit the development of the functionality and performance of the MySQL software platform, leading to profound harm to those who use MySQL software to power applications.

Please help mySQL by writing a Letter to the EC opposing Oracle’s acquisition of MySQL

Neelie Kroes
Commissioner for Competition
European Commission
1049 Brussels, Belgium
E-mail: neelie.kroes@ec.europa.eu

We have sent one. You can help out too.

AdrianCJY.com in support of open source development and opposition of the acquisition of mySQL