Chris Browne wrote:
merlin.moncure@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ("Merlin Moncure") writes:
No, that doesn't seem to follow ... if Oracle are spending their
resources to attack MySQL rather than us, the conclusion would be
that they are clearly still more informed by "the buzz" than
technical merit.
With no disrespect to PostgreSQL, MySQL has 100x our downloads and
installations...
Oracle is simply going after by far the biggest open source
database player...
Maybe I can bring some insight here. I think mysql's strategic
alliance with SAP is much scarier to Oracle than Market/Mind share.
Oracle's gameplan is built around convincing companies that they
need to spend millions of dollars in database software to drive
their erp/crm systems.
I'd agree with this latter point.
The particularly _interesting_ things that MySQL AB has been doing
have all pointed towards an attempt to move towards alliance with SAP
AG.
If SAP AG started talking with us with a view to using PostgreSQL as
an alternative database to Oracle for R/3, *THAT* would be the moment
when Oracle would start to take things *really* seriously, because
that represents a direct threat against billions of dollars of
Oracle's revenue.
For that matter, you can bet that they are trying to convince Sun not to
ship PostgreSQL as a .pkg on Solaris. If they fail to convince Sun
otherwise, and they ship it, then you can bet that we will be singled
out. If we achieve that level of publicity, then Oracle may decide that
there is no point in avoiding drawing attention to us. Oracle, in
backing Linux, has also become exposed to us as direct competition
because so many Linux distros ship with PostgreSQL, but their real
advantage is fairly limited to areas in the upper end of the market.
That is the potential threat that the Oracle purchase of Innobase OY
curbs with considerable elegance.
Possibly. But I think that MySQL has been in Oracle's sights since well
before taking on MaxDB. This certainly upped the ante, but it was not
in my mind the trigger.
Best Wishes,
Chris Travers
Metatron Technology Consulting
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