End of MySQL?

[gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org (Jerry Feldman)]

Mergers tend to bring everyone out :-)
I've seen companies make some very stupid decisions. I think Oracle's=20
motivation to buy Sun is simply to protect its market since their=20
largest market share is on Sun systems. I suspect that while there is=20
overlap between Oracle and MySQL, the market share they gain by=20
supporting MySQL cannot be ignored either by Oracle management as well=20
as DOJ.

There has been some discussion on Groklaw about this, but remember that=20
Oracle is a member of the Linux Foundation and has been supportive of=20
Linux. Assuming the DOJ does not mandate a spinoff my predictions are:
Oracle leaves Sun as a subsidiary allowing Sun to continue to operate=20
autonomously with little interference.
MySQL will continue as it has been and will not be integrated as an=20
"Oracle lite" at least for a year or so.
Virtualbox has thrived under Sun and will continue to be improved both=20
as a Linux and Windows product, but it will be continued to be=20
integrated into Solaris.
I don't have a prediction on Java. Sun's strategy is to maintain design=20
control. I don't know if that would remain or if Oracle would support it =

as an ISO standard language.
The office products add some strength and I think they will continue to=20
be strongly supported.

However, I have seen companies kill money-making pieces. One example is=20
Microcom, the modem people. Microcom was the worlds largest modem=20
manufacturer when acquired by Compaq, but most of their products were=20
other brands since they OEM'd a lot of their product. Somehow, someone=20
at Compaq decided that didn't fit within Compaq as Compaq preferred to=20
have everything with a Compaq brand.  Certainly some companies have=20
acquired competitors and killed the competitive product, but I don't see =

Oracle doing any of this.  Virtually every part of Sun adds strength to=20
Oracle. Since MySQL itself has a lot of brand recognition, I don't see=20
Oracle trying to kill it, usurp its market or re branding it other than=20
possibly adding the Oracle name to it.

On 04/24/2009 09:07 AM, Bill Ricker wrote:
>> Robert Treat makes his predictions on the future of MySQL within (and
>> without) Oracle here:
>> http://www.xzilla.net/blog/2009/Apr/Why-should-Oracle-kill-MySQL,-when=
-they-will-do-it-themselves.html
>> You might infer from the URL the general tone :)
>>    =20
>
> At least he linked "perverbial [sic] elephant in the room Postgres" to
> his professional services page by way of covert disclosure of bias.
>
> Java, VirtualBox, Star/OpenOffice and the interaction between Oracle
> Enterprise Fedora and Sun's several  Gnu/Linux distros resale/support
> relationships are the other elephants in the room.
>
> (I omit 'proverbial' even spelt correctly as that elephant is always
> singular. This room is crowded.)
>
>  =20


--=20
Jerry Feldman <gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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