February 2008 to 1 billion U.S. dollars by Sun acquired MySQL, the road was still difficult to predict. For us, the more interesting is that on October 27, Red Hat announced a 19 million U.S. dollars capital injection open-source database vendor-EnterpriseDB. Message 1, the industry was immediately interpreted as another way to develop open-source database, Red Hat, Oracle, and not later subject to MySQL.
If MySQL's banner fell, and the small number of scattered power of open source database will be fierce competition for open source database market will probably be into the Spring and Autumn Period, and who would be the next market leader?
"Benchmarking" MySQL
The scale of several hundred billion dollars in the database market, the share of open-source database is minimal. To IDC 2007 of the global database market, for example, a total of 18.8 billion U.S. dollars in the market, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft ranked the top three, for a total market share of 83.8%, while MySQL to 38 million U.S. dollars in revenue account 0.2%. Gartner predicts 2013 open source database market will exceed 1 billion U.S. dollars, but compared with the entire database market is still tiny.
However, the open-source database has demonstrated high growth. Gartner data shows that open-source database in 2008 revenue growth of 42.4%, the use of open source database, up 50% of enterprises surveyed, 73% are using open-source database, 49% compared to last year's great growth.
In this small market, MySQL has an important position. China OSS Promotion Union President Lu said, MySQL, PostgreSQL, EnterpriseDB is the world's three major open source database. MySQL is an open source development community to provide free download of the free version, also offers commercial products, receive technical support services.
Data show that, as of January 2009, MySQL has 11 million users, Google, Yahoo and Amazon, and many other Internet companies are its customers. After the acquisition by Sun, MySQL has developed MySQL5.0, MySQL enterprise and other new products, opening in MySQL5.1 the first 10 days of downloads more than 25 million times.
Lu said, MySQL is also good in the Chinese market sales. In 2007, Huawei, Ericsson, Siemens and other large enterprises in China are purchased MySQL products. 2008, MySQL has gained the favor of companies such as Sina, in the Chinese market reached 15 million yuan in sales, estimated revenue this year will be more than 20 million yuan.
Therefore, MySQL open source database market every move the vane. Today, its future as Oracle and Sun acquisition of the outstanding and erratic. While Oracle promised to maintain the independence of MySQL, many opponents are worried that if the MySQL database is the largest private companies under the command of Oracle reverted, may have been suppressed or even Oracle's abandoned.
MySQL's future hangs in
In recent years, under the general trend in open source, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, already have offered an olive branch to the open source. "IBM and Oracle both commercial databases, but also open-source database, take the dual development strategy, but when from the backstage nothing more." Lu said the first group.
However, these "big brothers" Although the play under the banner of open source, open source, but they still have from the real distance. MySQL is also worried about the prospects for the industry is strongly recommended Oracle to MySQL sold to an independent third party reasons.
Open source software community leader Richard Stallman in a letter to the European Commission said, "If Oracle is the market today, the rulers of the old database, MySQL is the future of the emerging market leader in database, MySQL can be seen as the most important competition in the coming Oracle opponents. "
Therefore, once the merger MySQL is Oracle, Oracle no obligation to actively promote not only MySQL, or at reasonable prices of its business license, and have no obligation to take their own revenues to improve MySQL. The face of commercial database software and open source database, a conflict of interest between, I am afraid that Oracle will give priority to protecting their charges database product.
Was a shareholder and consultant MySQL Florian Mueller said, "Let's get MySQL Oracle for more than a fox sheds more terrible, because hens do not pose a threat to the fox, and MySQL Querang Oracle lost customers, and have to some because of the threat may leave the customers to discount. "
Mueller against Oracle by MySQL, the fact that he thinks the current, Oracle just want to get rid of their open-source challenger. Stallman also said, MySQL is Oracle merger would be a setback, could collapse, the core of MySQL developer community. MySQL, which also generated a par with the database platform, it may take many years.
Who is the next leader?
"Over the years PostgreSQL has been living in the shadow of MySQL, now perhaps it's time to shine. In the past, the company spent too much time discussing the competition with MySQL, as well as how Oracle transplant. In the just released Postgres 8.4 database, EnterpriseDB without reference to any competitor, this is a welcome change. "CNET article, the site said.
On Red Hat, the injection of EnterpriseDB is a good deal. "Red Hat is a more comprehensive open-source companies, both Linux operating system, but also through mergers and acquisitions have been open-source Jboss middleware, and this time got the open source database, open source product lines have been better." Lu said the first group. Currently, many enterprises in the application of open source databases also use open-source operating system, reflecting the market needs change.
EnterpriseDB in recent years, becoming PostgreSQL support and promote the development of leaders. PostgreSQL open source database market has been the cornerstone, known as "the most advanced open source database." March 2008, EnterpriseDB received a new round of up to 10 million U.S. dollars the total amount of investment, among them IBM's participation. At that time the article shows, EnterpriseDB has more than 200 customers, is expected to achieve profitability in 2008.
July 2007, EnterpriseDB EnterpriseDB Advanced Server products carrying the official to enter the China market. Data shows that many applications designed for the Oracle can be ported to EnterpriseDB without modification on, you can also easily from the Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and Sybase databases transplant.
Lu first group that, in addition to IBM-led J2EE, led by Microsoft. Net framework, formed by the open source software LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) architecture is booming, as one of the three major IT architecture. With this structure, open-source vendors to provide users with a complete solution, and open-source database is an integral part of them.
"Recently, the United States, the White House website completely with the LAMP architecture, the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies on the safe, low cost, flexibility, good open-source software, showed a great interest. The United States also appeared in the mixed source WAMP framework that is based on the Windows operating system, using open-source middleware, databases, etc.. "Lu said. Market demand stimulated by the release of more and more manufacturers began digging the open source market opportunity, the new leader of the emerging open-source database.