Sun Microsystems has completed the £500m
acquisition of MySQL, the
open source database server, in a move the company regards as
the most significant in the open source community.
The company has announced worldwide open source support, with
24x7 multi-platform support for MySQL Unlimited licences – for a
flat annual fee. Through the acquisition, Sun hopes to be able to
provide users with a platform for open source server-based network
computing.
Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and president of Sun, said,
“
MySQL acquisition will expand Sun’s software business. For the
first time ever, businesses across the world can standardise on a
commercially supported, open source platform that meets their needs
for scale, quality and global service.”
MySQL has tens of millions of users and Sun hopes the
acquisition will help the company sell its products and
services.
Rich Green, executive vice-president of Sun, said, “MySQL is
essential for developing Web 2.0 and this acquisition puts Sun as
the biggest contributor to the open source community.”
Green said Sun would now be able to provide businesses with a
full open source IT architecture. “We have completed our ability to
deliver an open source platform for the server. We think we can
deliver that platform.”
Through the acquisition, Marten Mikos, head of database business
at Sun and former CEO of MySQL, would continue developing MySQL
projects.
