Re: Oracle purchases Sleepycat - is this the "other shoe" for MySQL

Randal L. Schwartz wrote:
> Oracle purchases Sleepycat. From what I understand, BerkeleyDB was the
> "other" way that MySQL could have transactions if Oracle decided to
> restrict InnoDB tables (after purchasing Innobase last year).
>
> Does this mean the other shoe has dropped for MySQL AB?
>
I think the thing being missed in all this isn't the impact of Oracle
buying innodb and sleepycat on open-source mySQL. The open-source license
for existing versions of this code I believe cannot be revoked - and
if Oracle tried it they would get a ridiculous amount of bad press.

Assuming Oracle are making these purchase to 'get at' mySql then why?

One thing it does do is give them the power to squeeze mySQLs business
model - the one where they make money out of their commercial license
for their database. The open-source version doesn't directly make money
for the company - instead you are encouraged to buy a commercial license
for that.

To do a commercial license for mySQL the company has to negotiate a
commercial licence for innodb and berkley DB. they have to pay those
companies. The agreements are probably periodically re-negotiated (I
seem to remember something about this when innodb were acquired).

When it's time to renegotiate Oracle could say add a (modest) 10-15-25%
onto the cost. mySql then have a problem - they pass that cost onto
their customers and probably loose a number of them to the open-source
version, or they swallow the cost. Either way that reduces the
amount of revenue they make. Less revenue means less resource to improve
mySql - in the worst case mySql have to use all their revenue to
support existing releases.

Stunting mySql development resource means less new features and keeps a
healthy functional gap between 'Enterprise class DB' Oracle and 'poor mans
option' of mySql. The bigger Oracle can keep that gap the fewer Enterprise
customers they loose to mySql.

Of course that can then all be offset by a knight in shining armour that,
for their own reasons, decide to donate some money or resource to mySql.

ho-hum - conspiracy theories abound!

Just about the only thing that can be said is that Oracle doesn't
need the technology they have bought!

my t'pennyw'th

Pete
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http://www.whitebeam.org - open source web application server
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