Analysts: Sun's MySQL could thrive under Oracle ownership

One year after spending US$1 billion to purchase MySQL, the open source database software company, Sun Microsystems is now being swallowed up by Oracle.  

Oracle's Database 11g will remain the company's flagship product, but that doesn't mean MySQL and its users will suffer under the hand of CEO Larry Ellison. In fact, MySQL could thrive under Oracle ownership, analysts say.

"MySQL is not going away," says Forrester analyst James Kobielus. "That's one of the key assets Oracle is buying here, and they know it."

MySQL has millions of users and a broad community of developers and third-party vendors that build products to leverage and enhance the open source database's capabilities, Kobielus notes. Oracle purchasing Sun may be seen as good news by MySQL users, who might have been concerned that Sun would not survive the economic downturn unless it was purchased by a more stable company, he says.

Computerworld blogger Sharon Machlis says MySQL users might fear that Oracle will try to lure customers to the higher-priced option, and fail to improve the open source MySQL because it competes against the flagship. Machlis points to a letter written Monday by Oracle President Charles Phillips, which discusses the value of Java and Solaris, but not of MySQL.

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