Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …

The Open Season team got on the phone with Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL, and Rich Green, SVP of Software at Sun Microsystems, shortly after the announcement of the acquisition was made. You can listen in here.

As Matt and Dave see it, Sun may well become the center of ...

Here’s something I wrote up a while back for basic MySQL knowledge. MySQL Competency

This is also a useful list of interview questions for potential hires. DBA Interview Questions

The above is a YouTube clip of Kaj Arnö leading MySQL and Sun executives in a rendition of  "Helan går" the official Swedish drinking song at MySQL.  This was followed by 400 shots of vodka being downed in unison. 

Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …

Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …

still wrapping my head around this whole sun thing, but i have to say that i am a little excited about some of what i see in sun’s explanation of their benefit package. above and beyond what mysql offers now, there is matching on the 401(k), a stock purchase program, and charitable contribution matching. there is also a tuition reimbursement program.

it does look like i’ll be losing some days off, or at least the flexibility on them (more holidays, less vacation time).

and there is a new employee referral bonus. so if you want to work for sun (or as i suspect mårten will be referring to it, mysql), wait a few months and let me refer you!

I’m sorry that I haven’t commented on the BEA acquisition. It’s just been too obvious for too long, I can’t get excited even though it’s really really big. Manifest destiny manifested, that’s it. On the other hand… Tip of the hat to Lucas Jellema at AMIS who posts his own commentary on the acquisition and also provides [...]

So I worked with MySQL for a full 2 days, basically one day on an airplane and another day in the new employee introduction we had in the Orlando meeting. Then I wake up the next morning, Mårten Mickos stands up on the podium with a shaky voice and tells the audience that Sun has bought MySQL. Then there is that 5 seconds of quiet when people realise that it was not a joke, it's for real. Or like me, it was 5 seconds when I realised that, hey, MySQL, that's us.

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Following on from my instant reaction to the news that Sun was acquiring MySQL for $1bn, the deal deserves some closer attention. Subscribers to The 451 Group’s TechDealMaker service can read the QuickTake and the full Deal Analysis, while a couple of points are worthy of further analysis:

• Despite the best efforts of MySQL and other open source software vendors, support is still routinely …